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Tulsa County News, 3708 SW Blvd., Tulsa, OK 74107.
Editorial, Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Time for mutual respect
Tulsa voters decided two decades ago that the city should be led by a mayor-council form of government. The so-called strong mayor" setup replaced a commission form of municipal government in which all elected city officials - including the mayor and commissioners - were chosen at-large by voters across the entire city. This new form replaced the four commissioners with nine councilors elected from geographical wards, theoretically to ensure that all areas of the city had representation at City Hall.
The so-called strong mayor" set-up mimics the executive-legislative authority of state and federal government and is meant to create a healthy tension between the two branches of authority. It is meant to balance central authority between the parochial interests of various parts of the city.
It requires mutual respect. If not, things can get pretty silly and the interests of the citizens can be left awash in personality clashes and political infighting.
Over the years, the strong mayor" system has worked pretty well for Tulsans. The various mayors and councils have squared off from time to time but always, eventually, things end up getting back on track. Sometimes this has required city leaders to get over it and get along." Occasionally, the voters have had to get involved and select new leadership.
Tulsa's mayor and councilors now seem to be headed for unprecedented gridlock. Threats of official censure, litigation and criminal prosecution are being hurled about. In some respects, it is reminiscent of a schoolyard rock fight that, when it ends, leaves no one happy.
The citizens of Tulsa are the ones who will suffer from the current contention at City Hall. It's time for elected leaders to take a step back and reconsider their roles in the welfare of the city and put aggravation and acrimony aside.
It is time to get back to the basic principal of healthy debate in the context of mutual respect.
