Why I'm voting for city charter changes and why you should consider it

Oklahoma has an abysmal voter turnout. Our state hasn't beaten the national average in general elections since 1996, and in 2020, we had the pleasure of being second to last.

We are trending down and are on track to be in last place this year. Now, what does this have to do with our City Charter changes? Not much, honestly.

But it's a good reminder that when you hear people complain and moan about what's on the ballot, there is a 50/50 chance they won't even show up to vote.

I attended the city's first workshop in October that discussed charter changes. I was the only person in the room who wasn't on staff or a city councilor. It was a public meeting that anyone could attend, but no one showed up.

I sat in on numerous council meetings where these changes were discussed, and I can recall only three people offering public feedback on the charter, but now that it's on the ballot just days away, everyone has an opinion.

Over the last week, I have read many online posts, emails and discussions about the proposed changes, and I still haven't read a decent, valid argument as to why we should vote no.

The majority of the arguments can be summed up in two ways: Vote no because this is a power grab from the city, or you should just vote no because I don't like it and you shouldn't like it either.

Also, sprinkle in anger against Democrats, national issues unrelated to Bartlesville and something about massive election fraud.

Everyone should closely read each proposition and vote accordingly. If you only get your information from people who complain about everything the city does, you will do a massive disservice to everyone.

Major election changes

Let's start with the big one because most people don't read to the end of anything anymore.

Proposition 1 moves elections to April and changes council terms from two years to three years.

I agree that since city councilors have nonpartisan positions, they should be elected in nonpartisan races. Moving those elections away from November to April makes sense. Their role is to govern the city, not set political agendas.

It should be an unattractive position reserved for people who want to serve the citizens of Bartlesville, not themselves. Setting the elections apart from polarizing general elections reminds citizens that these roles are different.

I hear concerns about voter turnout, but in the end, voters are responsible for going to the polls. If that were the genuine concern, those same people would argue for removing barriers for voters, not complain about the outcome because it didn't go their way.

Minor election changes

If running for city councilor, Proposition 2 requires you to live in your ward for six months before the filing date instead of the election date. This is the same language used by state and county elections. It makes it all consistent. I'm voting yes.

Proposition 3 adds a cool-down period for running for city council. Former city employees must wait three years to be eligible to serve on the council. I can go either way on this one, but I think having a period is better than none, so that's a yes.

Proposition 4 deals with recall efforts. This part of the charter has never been tested; it has only been threatened. The current language is messy and allows for recall efforts to begin before a councilor takes office or even after they have left.

Currently, the city must hold a recall vote even if that person isn't in office. While many do not want boundaries around recall efforts, I find it odd that none exist. That's a yes.

Administration changes

Proposition 5 allows the same rules that govern expenses to extend to contracts. In other words, city staff can buy the supplies for a project right now but must get the city council's approval for a contract to do the work.

The current process can add months of delay for work to get done, and the proposed changes can save taxpayers money. I’m for speeding up government process and saving us money, that’s why I will be voting yes.

For me, propositions 6 through 10 essentially fix mistakes and oversights from when the charter was last amended.

One example is the charter reads; councilors will be sworn in at 7 p.m. because that's when the council meeting used to take place and changing it to simply the next council meeting. These propositions clean up and clarify the language in the charter.

I'm voting yes on those changes.

Are the proposed changes perfect? Nope but I believe it’s better and a step in the right direction.

Who knows maybe in 10 years we will want other changes and that’s fine. We should update our charter as we grow and learn.

Finally, whatever way you vote, make sure you know what you are voting for. An uninformed vote of either yes or no sends the wrong information to our leaders, who can, in turn, make bad decisions based on the election's outcome.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Why I'm voting for city charter changes and why you should consider it