http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-councilman-charged/article/5594395

Sad story when people can't get out of their own way

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pettis1.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pettis2.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pettis4.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pettis5.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pettis6.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pettis7.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pettis3.jpg

Sad to see someone who promised to do good things, steal from the very people he swore to help.

Greed is a terrible cancer.

From KFOR via AP; expected to plead not guilty:

http://kfor.com/2018/05/14/oklahoma-city-councilman-to-plead-not-guilty-to-embezzlement/

^

These are large sums of money, at least $165,000.

Reminder that each member of City Council is paid $1,000 per month. The mayor is paid $2K.

What is the process to remove a member of the OKC City Council?

The News OK article says that is he is expected to resign at the end of May, so it may not come up at least in this case.

The News OK article says that is he is expected to resign at the end of May, so it may not come up at least in this case.

Where are you seeing this?

Fourth paragraph down in the article.


Pettis is expected to resign by the end of the month from the Ward 7 seat he has held since 2013. He is facing three counts of embezzlement and one count of intentionally failing to file state income tax returns.

Thanks, they added to that article after it was posted.

Also, he still has 2 years to run on his term so if he is planning to resign this does not bode well for his innocence.

Thanks, they added to that article after it was posted.

Also, he still has 2 years to run on his term so if he is planning to resign this does not bode well for his innocence.

Makes me wonder if he already has a deal worked out to plea with such deal requiring his resignation.

Thanks, they added to that article after it was posted.

Also, he still has 2 years to run on his term so if he is planning to resign this does not bode well for his innocence.

I thought i had read something somewhere that he was planning on running for another office? Maybe within the county? Could explain why he was planning to resign?

I thought i had read something somewhere that he was planning on running for another office? Maybe within the county? Could explain why he was planning to resign?

True. He is already a candidate for County Commissioner.

Hopefully Pettis resigns as he indicated. If so, what is the process to replace him? Temporary appointment? Special election?

BTW, here is his bio on OKC.gov: https://www.okc.gov/government/city-council/ward-7

Hopefully Pettis resigns as he indicated. If so, what is the process to replace him? Temporary appointment? Special election?

BTW, here is his bio on OKC.gov: https://www.okc.gov/government/city-council/ward-7

If he resigns, the Council would appoint his replacement until the next election, which is 2 years away.

I suspect the same process would apply if he was removed.

I just learned that Pettis has resigned specifically due to these charges.

His prior plan was to keep his council seat while he pursued the County Commissioner position, just like Holt remained a state senator while running for mayor.

I was incorrect about the process to replace Pettis.

He will be officially gone as of the end of May and the Council will appoint a temporary replacement then call for a special election, which would occur in August I believe.

Press release from the city:

*****************


Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis resigns effective May 31

Ward 7 Councilman John A. Pettis Jr. has resigned his seat on the Oklahoma City Council effective May 31. A primary special election to fill the vacated seat will be Aug. 28.

Councilman Pettis submitted the resignation in a letter received Thursday by Mayor David Holt. The resignation applies to Councilman Pettis’ other positions on City boards, trusts and commissions.

Councilman Pettis was first elected to his seat in the April 2013 general election and was re-elected with a majority victory in the February 2017 primary election.

As required by the Oklahoma City Charter, the Council will take two actions within 30 days of the resignation’s effective date:

Appoint, by majority vote, a qualified person to immediately fill the vacancy.

Call a special election to fill the vacancy for the rest of the four-year term. Aug. 28 is the next available election date.


Special election information

In its future resolution calling the Aug. 28 primary special election in Ward 7, the Council will set a 3-day candidate filing period. If only one qualifying candidate files to run, that candidate is automatically elected to office.

If a candidate earns a majority of the votes in the Aug. 28 primary, he or she wins the seat. Otherwise, the two candidates with the most votes will stand in a decisive runoff Nov. 6.

The winner will represent Ward 7 on the Council for the remainder of the term, which ends in April 2021.

Qualifying candidates must be:
a U.S. citizen;
at least 21 years old;
a qualified Oklahoma City voter;
a resident of Oklahoma City or an area that has been annexed by Oklahoma City for at least three years before the election date;
a resident of Ward 7 for at least six months;
and a registered voter at an address within Ward 7 for at least six months before filing a declaration of candidacy.

The Oklahoma City Council has nine members: the Mayor, who is elected citywide, and one member representing each of Oklahoma City’s eight Wards.

The Council is nonpartisan and members serve part-time at the head of the City’s Council-Manager form of government. The Mayor’s annual salary is $24,000, and Council members’ annual salary is $12,000.

Our city really needs to raise the pay of councilors and the mayor. These folks oversee an annual cumulative budget that surpasses one billion dollars. The annual 12k is no excuse for embezzlement, however, it would probably broaden and diversify the field of candidates if the positions paid a living wage.

Our city really needs to raise the pay of councilors and the mayor. These folks oversee an annual cumulative budget that surpasses one billion dollars. The annual 12k is no excuse for embezzlement, however, it would probably broaden and diversify the field of candidates if the positions paid a living wage.

Beyond that, we need better financial disclosure for the mayor and council members.

Beyond that, we need better financial disclosure for the mayor and council members.

What are the financial disclosure requirements for the City Manager? Many forget about this unelected behind the scenes position that wields much power and influence into how monies are appropriated.

Our city really needs to raise the pay of councilors and the mayor. These folks oversee an annual cumulative budget that surpasses one billion dollars. The annual 12k is no excuse for embezzlement, however, it would probably broaden and diversify the field of candidates if the positions paid a living wage.

Gotta disagree with you on that. Government positions being full time and well paid just breeds scummy career politicians who think of ways to make the government bigger.

I'm for the idea that you have a legit private sector job and then do government work in your spare time, which is where the $1k/mo seems like reasonable compensation for your time and travels.

Gotta disagree with you on that. Government positions being full time and well paid just breeds scummy career politicians who think of ways to make the government bigger.

I'm for the idea that you have a legit private sector job and then do government work in your spare time, which is where the $1k/mo seems like reasonable compensation for your time and travels.

which limits those elected to those that are self employed or those that are personally very wealthy

Gotta disagree with you on that. Government positions being full time and well paid just breeds scummy career politicians who think of ways to make the government bigger.

I'm for the idea that you have a legit private sector job and then do government work in your spare time, which is where the $1k/mo seems like reasonable compensation for your time and travels.
Yeah, much better to have wealthy corporate types wielding the levers of power to personally enrich themselves, their companies and family members. I see how that is working out on the levels of government in this state and country.

What are the financial disclosure requirements for the City Manager? Many forget about this unelected behind the scenes position that wields much power and influence into how monies are appropriated.

OKC is a "strong manager" city, City Manager Jim Couch is the employee who manages staff and operations. As the saying goes, he can be fired on any Tuesday by five votes. His bosses - the City Council - appropriate money after recommendations by layers of staff who report - directly and indirectly - to the City Manager.

which limits those elected to those that are self employed or those that are personally very wealthy


Yeah, much better to have wealthy corporate types wielding the levers of power to personally enrich themselves, their companies and family members. I see how that is working out on the levels of government in this state and country.


We're still talking about a city council seat right? Or did Trump Derangement Syndrome steal your attention and aim it back to the POTUS level? (where campaign reform is never going to happen because both parties are corrupt)

AT THE CITY LEVEL, I see no reason why someone who works an average FT job in the metro couldn't run for and get elected into a councilman/councilwoman role. There are plenty of companies that would be willing to allow flex time or AWS to permit going to meetings. It will require sacrifice, so that person probably can't have young kids or be in a weekend softball league, but that's called priorities. If you feel passionate enough to want to manage the local government, then you should be ready to sacrifice for the role.

^^^^^^^
FWIW most council members - and certainly the better ones over the years - put in close to full-time hours on their council duties OUTSIDE of council meetings in the form of meeting with constituents, serving on City-connected boards and trusts, meetings with City staff, appearances at ribbon cuttings and ground breakings, etc. Not saying many of them also didn't work full time, but it is WAY beyond just council meetings, if done correctly and conscientiously. In those cases most of them have been at the very least business owners, because not very many employers allow THAT much flexibility.

Reminder that our new mayor works full-time for Hall Capital which has received a boatload of city incentives for 21c, Jones and West Village. And there will be more.

And Mayor Mick worked in what everyone knew was a bogus job at Ackerman McQueen which does a ton of business with the City of OKC through the Convention and Visitor Bureau.

And I know most of the people on city council don't even look through the massive agendas before their Tuesday meetings.


We don't need to pay them a ton, but these should be full-time jobs and they should be able to live off a decent but not excessive salary. And we should then expect more from them.

Right. Do you want your politicians to be on the public's payroll or someone else's?

Reminder that our new mayor works full-time for Hall Capital which has received a boatload of city incentives for 21c, Jones and West Village. And there will be more.

And Mayor Mick worked in what everyone knew was a bogus job at Ackerman McQueen which does a ton of business with the City of OKC through the Convention and Visitor Bureau.

And I know most of the people on city council don't even look through the massive agendas before their Tuesday meetings.


We don't need to pay them a ton, but these should be full-time jobs and they should be able to live off a decent but not excessive salary. And we should then expect more from them.

Hang on..."everyone knew was a bogus job..?" That's a very specific and definitive statement.

Also - as your post seemed to be in response to mine - I will point out that I did NOT mention "looking through massive agendas" but referred to "meeting with constituents, serving on City-connected boards and trusts, meetings with City staff, appearances at ribbon cuttings and ground breakings." As you know I myself have lamented many times in the past that (in my opinion) way to few commission/trust/council members read their agendas and attachments as thoroughly as they probably should before meetings, which then ends up with people winging it and some overreach. I DO think this happens more at the commission level than I do at the council level.

But I also mentioned the qualifier of "...most council members - and certainly the better ones over the years..." when I mentioned people working long hours. I have known and worked with a number of council members in the past couple of decades - some closely - and they ABSOLUTELY worked that job as a full-time job.

I'm a little confused because by the end of your post we seemed to be in agreement on the fact that the job really deserved compensation commensurate with the time expectations, which conflicts with your apparent assertion that they don't really work that hard and that some even apparently have "bogus jobs."

Also - just so that we are extra, EXTRA clear - the Hall Capital projects at West Village were approved for City incentives LONG before David Holt was the mayor, and in fact they were negotiated and approved YEARS before he even announced that he was RUNNING for Mayor. If memory serves, they were negotiated circa 2014 and approved circa 2015. I also believe that Pete you made some postings generally supportive of the idea at the time (though in fairness I haven't gone back to check).

At the time, David was an underappreciated State Senator, and had been for 4-5 years.

So...not sure what the assertion is. I would suspect that in the future if Hall Capital applies for City Incentives that he would recuse himself fully from discussion, as it seems would be appropriate. City Legal would know more about the requirements there than I would.

Mick doesn't even list the A&M job anywhere on his linked-in profile and does not mention it in his bios. I know people who worked there at the same time and they have said he was rarely there and did very little.

I am just pointing out that the ridiculously low pay of the council and mayor requires them to have income from other jobs and that those jobs result in conflicts of interest.

Mick's only job during his last term as major seems to be "TV Producer" of that OKC documentary. Who paid him for that? It seems pretty obvious if you watch that film. And the better question is, why would he get paid to make such a movie that was shown for free at the Harkins and on OETA?

And just to clarify the Holt point, the incentives for West Village -- of which Hall is substantial partner -- were approved the same day the council approved the election results where Holt had won the mayor's race.

I'm not claiming inpropriety, just pointing out the massive conflicts of interest that happen all the time on the council and how most people don't even know about them. For example, do we know all the investors with Hall and will that be disclosed any time one of them has business with the City?

OKC is a "strong manager" city, City Manager Jim Couch is the employee who manages staff and operations. As the saying goes, he can be fired on any Tuesday by five votes. His bosses - the City Council - appropriate money after recommendations by layers of staff who report - directly and indirectly - to the City Manager.

You make my point. If his bosses are not required to make meaningful financial disclosure statements, certainly the individual who is managing staff, as well as serving on boards that make recommendations on where tax monies are spent should be providing financial disclosure statements.

Pete, I’d prefer that a GENERAL discussion about possible mayor & council conflicts of interest be taken into its own thread, and away from this SPECIFIC thread about Pettis. Pettis created three bogus “non-profit” organizations, took all of the money, failed to file state income tax returns, and then resigned from the City Council.

...And just to clarify the Holt point, the incentives for West Village -- of which Hall is substantial partner -- were approved the same day the council approved the election results where Holt had won the mayor's race.

I'm not claiming inpropriety, just pointing out the massive conflicts of interest that happen all the time on the council and how most people don't even know about them. For example, do we know all the investors with Hall and will that be disclosed any time one of them has business with the City?
Hold up...the incentives for West Village were approved by City Council in 2016. Here is a post about that:


OKC Council approves $8.5M in TIF funds for downtown projects

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record April 5, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – City Council members approved $8.5 million Tuesday to help fund two MAPS-related projects downtown.

The first is a $66 million development of 345 apartment units in four buildings and about 9,200 square feet of commercial space just east of S. Classen Boulevard between W. Main Street and W. Sheridan Avenue. The project by the Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort agency will receive $4 million under City Hall’s economic development plan for downtown through a tax increment finance district, or TIF...

...In both cases, city officials highlighted the need for more parking downtown. Mark Beffort promised about 800 parking spaces in four new parking garages and another 67 parking spaces along Sheridan and Fred Jones avenues.

“We actually have 2.33 parking spaces for every unit,” Beffort said. “We’re building additional parking because this particular area is growing and we hope to meet the demand for music venues as well as the 21C Hotel and ancillary retail services.”...

...Beffort said Newmark Grubb is spending about $3 million on infrastructure improvements, carrying Project 180 streetscaping into the new apartment area. The site also had a few environmental remediation issues that are awaiting approval by the Department of Environmental Quality.

One of the apartment buildings will feature a rooftop wading pool available to all the residents; another will have a clubhouse. Beffort stressed the idea of forming a community with a lot of interaction among people passing through.

At $66 million overall, the investment comes to about $150,000 per apartment unit. Rents are projected at $1.48 to $1.77 per square foot, although Beffort said it’s too early to tell how those figures will work out in the market. Developers are applying for a loan through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, he said.

The apartments will take two years to complete, beginning this fall, Beffort said, although residential occupation may begin as soon as 15 months.

I don't have a copy of the council agenda you are referring to, but is it possible that they were approving milestone payments on this TIF incentive, which was approved two years before Holt was elected? Or are you suggesting that there were new TIF funds approved on that day that I'm not aware of? If it was a milestone payment, it is something the City was obligated to do and in fact would have been in breach of contract had they not.

I believe you if you say you are not suggesting impropriety, but I sure don't think that is as obvious as you think it is to the casual reader or someone who doesn't have all of the facts, timelines etc. at their disposal. The fact that Holt's election happened to be certified by council on the same day that the City approved payment on a contractual obligation for something which was approved two years before is the definition of coincidental. The two things have absolutely nothing to do with one another. So if they have nothing to do with one another, why are we talking about them again?

Below is from the City Council agenda for February 27, 2018.

The TIF money was not previously approved, the council had previously only recommended it be approved. On this day, the final agreement was to be approved and the subsequently signed by then West Village developers. Up until that point, there was no signed agreement in place.

I will re-state my original point: Many things are not disclosed in the financial dealings of the mayor and city council and we simply have no idea when matters come before public bodies where there are potential conflicts of interest. And the fact these positions are not paid sufficiently thus requiring full-time employment elsewhere means that often, due to outside jobs, there are conflicts that the public may or may not know about.

And this is relevant because it was just discovered, long after the fact, that a City councilman was likely embezzling money based on his position.

How many people do you think know Holt works for Hall Capital? Who knows what he does for them exactly? Who are their clients and investors?

You could say the same for any mayor or council member and they are not required to make financial disclosures apart from campaign financing.

As I said, I am not saying Holt or anyone else has done anything wrong, but we would never know, would we? Just like we didn't know about Pettis.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/westvillage022718.jpg

Below is from the City Council agenda for February 27, 2018.

The TIF money was not previously approved, the council had previously only recommended it be approved. On this day, the final agreement was to be approved and the subsequently signed by then West Village developers. Up until that point, there was no signed agreement in place.

I will re-state my original point: Many things are not disclosed in the financial dealings of the mayor and city council and we simply have no idea when matters come before public bodies where there are potential conflicts of interest. And the fact these positions are not paid sufficiently thus requiring full-time employment elsewhere means that often, due to outside jobs, there are conflicts that the public may or may not know about.

And this is relevant because it was just discovered, long after the fact, that a City councilman was likely embezzling money based on his position.

How many people do you think know Holt works for Hall Capital? Who knows what he does for them exactly? Who are their clients and investors?

You could say the same for any mayor or council member and they are not required to make financial disclosures apart from campaign financing.

As I said, I am not saying Holt or anyone else has done anything wrong, but we would never know, would we? Just like we didn't know about Pettis.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/westvillage022718.jpg

money was absolutly previousoly approved ... from that agenda item o

WHEREAS, on April 5, 2016, the City Council of the City adopted a Resolution
approving and authorizing a tax increment allocation for the Project in Increment District No. 2
in an amount not to exceed $4,000,000 as a Development Incentive to cover a gap in the
financing requirements necessary to complete the Project

it was APPROVED and authorized in april 2016

money was absolutly previousoly approved ... from that agenda item o

WHEREAS, on April 5, 2016, the City Council of the City adopted a Resolution
approving and authorizing a tax increment allocation for the Project in Increment District No. 2
in an amount not to exceed $4,000,000 as a Development Incentive to cover a gap in the
financing requirements necessary to complete the Project

it was APPROVED and authorized in april 2016

Yet, there was no finalized contract and thus nothing binding until this particular item was approved by the council.

...How many people do you think know Holt works for Hall Capital?...

Man Pete, I SWEAR I am not trying to simply be argumentative, or flippant, but the answer to this question is:


Readers of OKCTalk (discussed at length in this thread) (http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=43057)
Anyone who can use Google (https://www.google.com/search?biw=1920&bih=989&ei=sSEHW-KCEcLwsQWB0pOABA&q=mayor+david+holt&oq=mayor+david+holt&gs_l=psy-ab.3..35i39k1.788879.792419.0.792667.16.16.0.0.0.0 .120.1188.14j2.16.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.16.1181...0j0i131k1j0i20i264k1j0i67k1j0i131i 20i264k1j0i20i263i264k1j0i20i263k1j0i22i30k1.0.n2t 9vYA-EfA) (appears prominently in multiple results)
Anyone who visited (or continues to visit) his campaign website (http://holtformayor.com/about/)
Readers of The Oklahoman (which documented when he joined Hall Capital (https://newsok.com/article/5367697/hall-capital-hires-oklahoma-state-sen-david-holt-to-lead-new-investor-relations-office) and also when he filed for mayor's race (https://newsok.com/article/5574671/two-file-for-oklahoma-city-mayor) and when he was sworn in (https://newsok.com/article/5367697/hall-capital-hires-oklahoma-state-sen-david-holt-to-lead-new-investor-relations-office) among multiple other mentions)
Readers of NonDoc (https://nondoc.com/2018/01/30/okc-mayoral-race-election-cheat-sheet/)
People who watch KFOR (http://kfor.com/2018/02/14/what-we-know-about-david-holt-the-man-elected-as-next-oklahoma-city-mayor/)
People who watch KOCO (http://www.koco.com/article/okc-mayor-elect-david-holt-talks-about-his-next-chapter/19724788)
Anyone who visits his LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-holt-2810a6118/)
Visitors to the Hall Capital website (http://hall-capital.com/portfolio_page/david-holt/)
People visiting the City of OKC website (which says "...Mayor Holt is a licensed attorney and works for a family-owned investment company in Oklahoma City..." though not mentioning the company, which seems correct so that there would not be any promotional benefit gained

I think he has been very transparent about his role with Hall Capital, and it has been widely reported. I mean, short of wearing a sandwich board with the company logo when he does City business I'm not sure what else can be expected here. Which, of course, actually WOULD be improper if he did so.

Seriously, do we WANT a mayor who has no real connections to the business community or success in the private sector? Personally I felt his unique combination of experience in City Hall, in Washington, at the Capitol, in the non-profit sector, and yes, in the private sector was a major STRENGTH.

I also think it is worth noting that he has been a recipient of the Freedom of Information Oklahoma Sunshine Award (http://foioklahoma.org/awards/sunshine-award/) annually recognizing "a public official or government body that has shown a commitment to freedom of information."

All of that said, I think we fundamentally agree that it is important to keep an eye on these things in general when it comes to City and other government, and also that it would be a good thing if the mayor and council were compensated in such a way that a regular person could make a living while serving and not be unduly motivated by their own personal financial situation.

i personally think a fair salary for a council member would be $48,000 per year, with the mayor at $86,000. None of those are ridiculous huge but would do very well at drawing the normal populous from OKC into the mix.

This is a test, 1) How many people on this forum right now would take a council or mayor job if all the political engine to make it happen were in place?

Crickets!!!!!!

OK, now:

2) with a salary of $48,000 per year (and maybe a carrot of tax exampt status in city limits) - NOW how many people would take the job in OKC?

..... enough said ........

Speaking personally, $48,000 would be a bit tighter than what I currently live on but I could manage it. $12,000 is basically a joke that requires a second salary (or someone independently wealthy) to pick up the slack.

Ok, I don't know the work load or time requirements of OKC city councilmen, but my father was an Edmond councilman in the 80's while running a business full time. So the salary was moot.

Speaking personally, $48,000 would be a bit tighter than what I currently live on but I could manage it. $12,000 is basically a joke that requires a second salary (or someone independently wealthy) to pick up the slack.

And it's a 4-year commitment. That's a long time to spend on basically a full-time job for basically no pay.

What is the history of the council salaries? Has the $12,000/$24,000 been increased at all in recent years?

What is the history of the council salaries? Has the $12,000/$24,000 been increased at all in recent years?

anincrease was voted down 2008 24K for the council 48 for the mayor

And it's a 4-year commitment. That's a long time to spend on basically a full-time job for basically no pay.

Pete,
My attorney was a city councilman for several terms and I never had trouble seeing him in his office. I don't know about "full-time job". I know it does take time and I thank all of them for their service but it certainly isn't full time.
C. T.

Duplicate post.

i personally think a fair salary for a council member would be $48,000 per year, with the mayor at $86,000. None of those are ridiculous huge but would do very well at drawing the normal populous from OKC into the mix.

This is a test, 1) How many people on this forum right now would take a council or mayor job if all the political engine to make it happen were in place?

Crickets!!!!!!

OK, now:

2) with a salary of $48,000 per year (and maybe a carrot of tax exampt status in city limits) - NOW how many people would take the job in OKC?

..... enough said ........

It would still be a significant pay cut. The only reason I would take that job at that salary would be if I intended on using its inherent political connections to make money elsewhere. If I ran a business that would really benefit from the exposure of me being a city councilman, then it would make sense. But as it is, it's a lot of work (if you want to do a good job) for very little gain.

It would still be a significant pay cut. The only reason I would take that job at that salary would be if I intended on using its inherent political connections to make money elsewhere. If I ran a business that would really benefit from the exposure of me being a city councilman, then it would make sense. But as it is, it's a lot of work (if you want to do a good job) for very little gain.

There have been several over the years that have benefited with name recognition from their time on the council. Ken Boyer, Jerry Foshee, etc. I know several attorneys that have ran for public office for no other reason than added name recognition.

Pete,
My attorney was a city councilman for several terms and I never had trouble seeing him in his office. I don't know about "full-time job". I know it does take time and I thank all of them for their service but it certainly isn't full time.
C. T.

It *should* be a full time job. You’re one of several people responsible for the week to week running of the city and it’s billion dollar budget. If you hold that seat, you should be spending 8 hours a day working for the people. There should never be an issue in your ward that you don’t intimately know about before a vote.

So many things get the rubber stamp in OKC - I wonder how much of that is the fact that the issues haven’t been fully studied and only thought about the day of the vote?

Just take a look at the weekly agenda for City Council meetings. Often close to 100 different items.

Just preparing for that meeting each week alone -- including doing independent research, talking to people, etc. -- is a full-time job.

Council people should really be paid closer to $75k and the Mayor closer to $100k. Politicians as a whole should be paid more so that special interests can have less of a seat a the table. Whether you're a city council person in OKC making $12,000/year or a US senator making $175,000/year, when people are whispering in your ears to the tune of 10 times what you're taking home serving your constituents, it's so much harder to say cut those people off from the get go.

You cannot blame the salary for the decisions that John Pettis and others like him make - but you can certainly make an argument that a salary nowhere near in line with the responsibilities and skill and dedication necessary to do your job to the level that it demands for the public to *actually* be served by your actions incentivizes this sort of shady behavior.

It would still be a significant pay cut. The only reason I would take that job at that salary would be if I intended on using its inherent political connections to make money elsewhere. If I ran a business that would really benefit from the exposure of me being a city councilman, then it would make sense. But as it is, it's a lot of work (if you want to do a good job) for very little gain.

DING DING DING DING - Folks, we have a winner!!

THIS is why we have the city government we have, those who run (and win) office are those who also run or own business that will benefit from having significant 'voice' in city government. This is why so many items are rubber stamped and as alleged by many, most city council members hardly know or even read the city docket. It should be a full-time job where the council members are accountable to the voters and citizens of the city yet there are many items that are passed which are invested by lobbyists and committees that are not accountable or not HELD accountable by anyone.

Now, I'm not picking on OKC as we've had an incredible run the past 20-years or so. But it is time to change. If we want to be a big city then we have to act like it and make our government accountable. We can't just let one person - the leader of the Economic Council for Development be the IT person for OKC's development initiatives or managing OKC's TIF. We can't allow our City Engineer to only allow auto-centric and suburban roadways in the urban core. We can't only have the deep pocket's folks keep light rail OCS out from in front of this or that. We can't continue to ignore those who really need help.

Now Im not saying we should get rid of those committees or remove Cathy of her role; but I do think she welds far too much power and was very surprised to see this play out time and time again - just as Pete predicted; she has the thumbs up, there's an 'executive committee' meeting, and then next week the council approves with the usual objectors from Ward 2 and 7. THIS has to change - it should be, folks meet with Cathy AND city staff and based on city charter, regs, and process - items are recommended approval. Items are forwarded to council where in special committees (think Ways and Means Committee, or Armed Forces committee in Congress) which review the full details IN PUBLIC or at least RECORDED then recommends the 'bill' to be sent to the council for full vote. During the actual council meeting, members of the public can voice support or opposition and then the vote is on the record.

If we can bring this level of accountability and responsibility to our city council, I think OKC can get even much MORE done and avoid the debacles of Project 180, the idiocracy that was delaying the streetcar and possibly only having single track the entire route, the heavy-hand from Devon to 'require' overhead tunnels on the periphery of their fortress [no chance for double decker buses in OKC - very common here in Seattle, Vancouver and other cities], stripe-then-restripe crosswalks and ill-informed/executed bike "lanes", inadequate street lighting and bus shelters (not to mention sidewalks), the passage of Lower Bricktown to Hogan without any penalty or clawback if land isn't developed, the destruction of Stage Center without a fully-funded shovel ready plan to build, granting TIF without requiring underground parking, Sunday bus ??? Evening bus??? (laughs), not requiring overhead scaffolding as a requirement in pedestrian ROW during construction projects the core density areas (laughs again), allowing OSU to stick their name on a city venue without prior approval, the mysterious removal then selective reappearance of items in Maps projects, the lack of political influence/leadership to demand BEST design/density in exchange for civic help/TIFF, allowing property owners to SIT on land/property in the rapidly developing core without penalty,

Shall I go on?

These are just things I've observed, thinking, WHO is running this city? Are they not paying attention to what has worked elsewhere or the trouble you can get into by eliminating or restricting infrastructure?

I mean this with all due respect because I do think her heart is in the right place, but there is NO WAY that Cathy should weld as much power as she has with no accountability. The council points to the Alliance and the Alliance says, well, the council voted on it. End of story. ... (does this make sense?). I once thought Roy Williams had the most power but we can put that to rest, as at least he had checks/balances with his membership and bilaws adopted by the Chamber to which he had to run by. the Alliance? No bilaws, no checks/balances, yet controls millions in TIF and IMO too loosely uses TIF without any real benefit to the city UNLIKE how other cities get development and use TIF.

The only way to change this is to change the council (not necessarily the members, but the expectations OF) and pay them a living wage that is fair and equitable to those who WOULD be great for city office but couldn't do it without a normal salary. ... THIS is what I'd like to see OKC adopt, immediately and then re-evaluate the duties/responsibilities of the city leadership. Do we even need a city manager? Why not just elect all city leadership officials instead and have THEM report to the mayors office (full political tie)? What about emphasis to get council and city staffing from local neighborhoods to better represent the city mosaic (love to see Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, Black, Non-religious, and Gay figures have major office). Perhaps a very good step in that direction would be to adopt/develop neighborhood/district councils that have charter for their area but report to the city council; in Asia District, its council would govern the area for planning, civic functions, beautification/placemaking + landscaping/cleanup/mtc, maybe even a little TIF monies then report to Ward 2. Ditto for 39th Street. And so on. These local leaders would get experience and support from the local community with the hopes to 'graduate' to full city leadership. ...

anyway, these are just some ideas I have that could improve upon the already wonderful but appears to becoming corrupt city leadership we have enjoyed mostly due to how far behind OKC was. Now that we've caught up, let's now move forward with a new model that trusts the people and rewards hard work in city office. Again, I strongly support $48K city council and at least $72K mayor. I also like the idea of OKC having "at-large" council members (I think 2 would do) and real committees that function like those in higher forms of government. This would balance the deep pockets of the good-ole-boys (not eliminate them, just have a balance) to that who would really be accountable to the citizens.

I agree Teo, I am not saying any of the above in support or affirming what Pettis was allegedly doing with those charities. I probably could see how he 'could' have thought that as CEO he's entitled to a salary or whatever and that maybe his $1000 per month stipend from the city probably helped necessitate those decisions. That argument is for his legal team to defend.

But I for one couldn't and wouldn't work for OKC as it's currently structured and paid, and I don't see a whole lot on here who would either unless their business benefited and allowed the commitment.

Former councilman accused of pressuring businesses

https://newsok.com/article/5598226/former-councilman-accused-of-pressuring-businesses

I’m thankful that the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office was able to act on this. Can someone clarify this for me: Was OCPD intentionally not involved because of a possible conflict of interest in investigating crimes at the city level, or did it automatically go to David Prater’s office because he would ultimately make the decision to investigate and file charges?

I believe public corruption issues are generally handled by the OSBI or FBI.