11 minute read
Edmond Life and Leisure - February 6, 2025
Where mayoral candidates stand on the issues
By Richard Mize Oklahoman.com
The race for mayor of Edmond will put the winner on a city council dealing with change — and facing almost routine challenges from residents to city officials' decision-making.
In November, voters overwhelmingly rejected three bond issue proposals — collectively packaged as "Edmond on the GO," for general obligation bonds — after a short but ugly contest.
Some people accused city officials of breaking the law by promoting the $231 million package for public works, not just informing voters about it. It would have raised property taxes by 14.4%.
Detractors often challenge or oppose commercial development, asserting that quality of life, the suburb's main calling card, is at stake. Proponents of growth, especially in affordable housing, say it's necessary to keep and attract a workforce.
The Edmond City Council already has changed, although the transition won't occur in February.
In the Feb. 11 nonpartisan election, only the mayor's seat — now held by Mayor Darrell A. Davis will be open. The top two vote-getters in that race will advance to the general election on April 1. Preston Watterson will take the Ward 3 seat, and Phillip Fraim will take Ward 4, because they were unopposed.
Here is what each mayoral candidate, in alphabetical order, thinks about some of the issues facing Edmond.
Candidate David Hornbeek:
People don't realize how bad city finances are
The biggest challenge ahead for Edmond is "a critical financial crisis that most people know nothing about," says candidate and architect David Hornbeek.
"Two taxes are set to expire in 2027. One of these taxes alone represents More than 30% of our current operating budget and half of our general fund," Hornbeek said. "If not renewed, our city government as we know it will suffer.
"Basic services will be affected, but 30% of our general funding for our administrative staff and our first responders will be lost. There will be massive layoffs in the city administrative staff and the police and fire departments will be faced with similar decisions."
Dealing with it isn't an issue of taxes, he said.
"It’s an issue of stabilizing operating revenue," Hornbeek said. "It is also an issue of current leadership failure. While citizen’s concerns, traffic, growth and unmanaged development need to be eventually addressed, none of those will matter unless we address this crisis first.
"I love Edmond, and I know we have great opportunities before us. But we must have responsible leadership. If I am elected, I will bring responsible leadership, with transparency, oversight and accountability, back to Edmond."
"Edmond on the GO," aside from the 14.4% property tax increase, didn't have a chance mainly because it was rushed and had too little input from the public, he said.
"The whole process was hastily prepared to attempt to get on the presidential ballot," Hornbeek said. "There was not anything that was conspired or had intentional collusion, but the decisions made to speed the process resulted in terrible optics.
"In an effort to speed the process, city staff provided a projects list and helped prioritize the order of the projects — giving appearance of council/city control. The final list of projects included work in every ward, in an effort to appease everyone and include something in every ward. While it spread the wealth, it was not a true reflection of the actual priorities of the work that needs to be done."
Hornbeek said people who are against growth should understand that it's inevitable.
"So the question is: What do we want it to look like? Do we want a hodgepodge like most of South Broadway, or thoughtfully planned developments like Chisholm Creek? Most people are not aware the geo-
center of Edmond isn’t Second and Broadway — it’s at I-35 and Danforth," he said. "We must focus on new developing areas that are specifically north and east of that intersection. Everything south and west is basically developed."
Specifically, Hornbeek said, the city needs to finish the Covell Parkway widening project, "which has been on the table for over 20 years," and reevaluate the Interstate 35 corridor development plan.
Edmond’s next mayor must have a thorough understanding of the city's political history in order to avoid the mistakes of the past, he said.
"I’ve seen firsthand the vitality that smart growth can bring to a city, but I’ve also seen what happens when communities don’t evolve — they stagnate, decay and lose their spirit," Hornbeek said. "Edmond has thrived because we’ve accepted change, we now must embrace it wisely. ...
"As an architect, I spent my career solving problems by setting clear goals, establishing budgets, and creating plans that balanced needs with resources. I will bring the same approach to the role of mayor."
Candidate Mark Nash: 'Edmond GO' led him to run for mayor
Candidate Mark Nash, with a career in finance, management, process engineering and consulting, echoed Hornbeek's points about city finance. He said the disconnect between promoters of "Edmond on the GO" and everyday people drove him to run for mayor. He has been involved with local issues for years, including 12 years as a trustee of the Edmond Economic Development Authority. He is a founding member of the Edmond Neighborhood Alliance.
"Our single biggest issue is the fiscal transparency and spending problem currently faced by the city," Nash said. "This year’s city budget has $453 million in expenditures and only $349 million in estimated revenue. The budget is balanced using reserve funds.
"We cannot continue to operate using one-time monies for normal operating expenses. When we run out of reserves, what will we do then? Getting a budget process in place that can reduce spending and hold city departments accountable will go a long way to regaining citizens’ trust in city government."
He added, "And we need to act fast. Edmond currently has $990 million in bond debt and the city council took out $81 million in bank loans this fiscal year to fund additional projects."
With two new members already coming onto the council unopposed, and a new mayor, Edmond's budget and spending problems can be solved with a fresh, seasoned approach, Nash said.
Watterman and Fraim, the incoming council members, have strong financial backgrounds, Nash said, and that, combined with his own experience in fiscal analysis, finance, management and process improvement, "will create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"To be successful, we must completely overhaul the city’s budget process," Nash said. "As a council, we must be able to tell departments, 'This is how much you have to spend,' and hold them to that number. And the budget must be presented in a format that department heads, city council members, and the general public can understand. Ultimately, transparency relies on regaining the trust of the citizens."
As for the bruising "Edmond on the GO" campaign, Nash was a leading opponent of the bond issues for numerous public works projects.
"All of the items on the project list are needed. Some more than others," he said, noting that completing the four-laning of arterial streets from 33rd Street north to Covell, and from Santa Fe Avenue east to Sooner Road, should be a priority.
The city also needs to "prioritize all our capital improvement projects," Nash said, "and then determine what we need to be asking our citizens for when the two sales tax issues come up in 2027. We can’t ask for more money if we aren’t spending wisely today and know what the cost of the future needs are."
Developers will see fewer NIMBY crusades — "not-in-my-back-yard" protests — if city planners and the council stops changing zoning project by project," he said.
"We spent nearly two years on the East Edmond 2050 Plan, and it has largely been ignored," Nash said. "When a developer uses a 20-plus-year-old zoning plan to justify building 500-plus homes in an area that was not designated that way in the most recent plan, (it) will always get pushback. ... "Allowing zoning changes all the time is not good for anyone. Just as with fiscal transparency, there must be transparency in the planning process. Everyone must know what to expect and what the outcome will be going into the process. We don’t have that today."
Candidate Tom Robins: former city council member running on his record
Tom Robins, as a former Edmond City Council member — he resigned his Ward 1 seat to be able to run for mayor — has a record to run on, so he is. He pointed to several accomplishments, including:
Called for the vote to get The Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park at Second Street and Coltrane Road "on track" and get an agreement approved by the city council.
"I was the only member of the Edmond City Council to vote against raising water utility rates (for water plant expansion and system improvements). The initial cost the previous city council approved was just over $300 million. Now, the project is over half a billion dollars, and I felt it necessary to have a complete financial review of options before moving forward or asking citizens for additional funding."
"During COVID, the city of Edmond did away with walk-in utility customer service. I proposed, voted for, and then ensured that walk-in, in-person customer service was restored."
"Led the effort to defeat Edmond’s 'Urban Residential Overlay' proposal."
"After years of abuse and neglect by a slumlord who was housing veterans in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, I led the effort to have the property owner taken to court, and declared a public nuisance."
"Led the effort on the council to raise private funding for the Edmond Fallen Officer Memorial."
"I first worked to close an illicit massage parlor within my ward and then held a town hall to identify the root cause of why Edmond has so many. The identified root cause for their proliferation in Edmond and cities across Oklahoma is that the state statute gives the State Cosmetology Board the only authority to regulate massage business activity. ... I'm working to run a bill during this legislative session to update the statute, giving cities the authority to verify permits and set zoning requirements."
Robins, who is president of Solid Foundation Consulting, said transportation and growth are the biggest challenges facing Edmond.
"My record on Edmond City Council is to not vote for development unless transportation issues have been addressed," he said.
As mayor, Robins said he would work to: Double the amount that the city now spends to fix streets and fill potholes.
Support a development impact fee to assist in funding road projects around new developments. Improve the flow of traffic and safety near all our schools.
Require a transportation plan for all new developments.
Require that community engagement has taken place before city staff recommends approval for a development.
Candidate Leonard Scott: War hero demands First Amendment rights respected Leonard Scott, a retired and decorated U.S. Army colonel, Vietnam veteran, 2022 inductee in
the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame and novelist, is a longtime critic of Edmond city government. His campaign for mayor of Edmond goes back to basics: redress of grievances.
During the Vietnam War, he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action as a member of the "Charlie Rangers," Company C (Ranger), 75th Infantry Regiment. His other honors include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and two Air Medals,
Scott has called for a recall of all city council members, calling the council a "regime." He was stymied because of the requirement of a petition with the signatures of 35% of registered voters to call a recall election. The city charter has had the requirement since 1925, city records show.
The requirement is "impossible or too onerous to achieve," he said, and "if the government requirements for a recall are impossible or too onerous to achieve (it is) denying our First Amendment rights ... to hold elected officers accountable to the people they are supposed to represent."
Scott said city officials refused to hold a town hall to hear his and others' numerous grievances, including the lack of an "after action review" of mandated closings and other decisions and actions during the Communist Chinese virus pandemic known as COVID-19," and what Scott considers to be "woke."
He said Edmond's biggest issue is the politicizing of the nonpartisan city council and city government. He took direct aim at Davis, the sitting mayor, for turning it into a "political, liberal progressive regime advocating for (a) woke radical ideology agenda."
Specifically, Scott lambasted Davis for his proclamation of "Gay Pride Month supporting, advocating, and embracing, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) community," as he put it in a handout.
Regarding "Edmond on the GO," he said he was "totally against it. I'm on a fixed income. Can you imagine your property taxes going up 14%" along with rising utility costs?
Development and growth are necessary, Scott said, but must be managed.
"Am I against building stuff? No. But along the I-35 corridor is the way to go, because you put buildings in there, you're not affecting others. You put green space in there, little parks. I'm not against it, but it's got to be done right."
Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 11
