Tulsa World: Chamber urges voters to nix two charter proposals

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Saturday, November 21, 2009 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Chamber urges voters to nix two charter proposals
Voters will decide on three proposed amendments to the City Charter when they go to the polls Nov. 10.

By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
Published: 10/24/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 10/24/2009 4:13 AM

Tulsa Elections: Read bios of candidates for mayor, City Council and city auditor and view a map of City Council districts.

The Tulsa Metro Chamber encouraged voters Friday to reject two of the proposed City Charter amendments and approve a third that will all appear on the Nov. 10 ballot.

The chamber supports the change that would require the city auditor to be certified either as an internal auditor or a public accountant.

It does not support requiring the mayor to get City Council approval for legal settlements in excess of $1 million or lengthening the council terms to three years.

"As the primary organization serving the Tulsa regional business community, the chamber has a vested interest in the public policies shaping this community as well as the state and nation," said David Page, Tulsa Metro Chamber chairman and JP Morgan Chase market president.

"We aim to take a proactive approach in advocating for policies, issues and amendments affecting the business community."

Establishing skill requirements for the city auditor would provide a minimum professional standard for a public office "that has a crucial role in the city's financial well-being," said Ken Levit, the Tulsa Metro Chamber's vice chairman of government affairs and the George Kaiser Family Foundation's executive director.

The requirement would

begin with the auditor's 2011 term, if approved.

The chamber, however, opposes lengthening city councilor terms from two to three years and staggering them so that three seats would be up for election each year.

If voters approve the amendment, the switch would take place in 2011.

"Two-year terms keep elected officials closer to the voters, while three-year terms diminish accountability and add to election costs by requiring annual elections," Levit said.

The chamber also opposes requiring the mayor to have to seek council approval for settlements greater than $1 million.

"This amendment would diminish the power of the mayor and take away the incentives for plaintiffs to enter into settlement discussions, therefore increasing litigation, reducing settlements and likely increasing judgment size," Page said.

The chamber's official positions on the charter changes were reached after study by the organization's membership, he said.

A nonprofit organization, the chamber does not endorse particular candidates for elected offices.

But Tulsa Metro Chamber President and CEO Mike Neal said all of the negative campaigning by the mayoral candidates has left a bad taste in residents' mouths.

"I think a lot of people are ready to hear the strengths and visions of the candidates and what they hope to accomplish if elected," he said.

The chamber will host a mayoral forum for the business community at 7 a.m. Thursday at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.

Brian Barber 581-8322
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

10 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Tulsa Chamber takes stand on City Charter amendments," which was published on 10/23/2009.

	Report Comment BetterorWorse, (10/23/2009 1:03:13 PM) The Chamber should not be allowed to take a stand on any public policy issue so long as it receives a majority of its funding from the municipal coffers. Its ludicrous to think that its not in the City's best interests to have Council approval for major settlements - just look at what happened when Taylor dragged the City into the GPA fiasco and immediately coughed up $7.1 million to Bank of Oklahoma for a settlement Tulsa should have never been a party to. Chamber Chairman David Page has no evidence to support his accusation that requiring Council approval would lengthen litigation, decrease settlement opportunities, or increasing judgement size...nothing more than a red herring to distract and level fear in the minds of the voters. And how forunate you have Ken Levit, the Exec Dir of the George Kaiser Family Foundation against this policy change...when his boss was the largest shareholding recipient in BOK of the GPA settlement.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (10/23/2009 1:06:32 PM) Let me get this straight and make sure I understand correctly who has given this recommendation on charter changes.... This is the same Metro Chamber of Commerce that stated that if Tulsa voters passed "RIGHT TO WORK", then companies would be flocking to Tulsa to hire workers. Is this that same Metro Chamber? I want to hear more about the Metro Chamber;s recommendation to Tulsa voters, but I need to go out and pull a few weeds first. Weeds on the vacant lot where a company used to be.
	Report Comment irwindale, Tulsa (10/23/2009 1:06:41 PM) The Chamber leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This Chamber has way to much say in what goes on in Tulsa.
	Report Comment Popeye, T-Town (10/23/2009 1:41:11 PM) Remember it was the Chamber of Commerce that mounted a concerted attack against HB1804. They think we have a short memory, I guess...
	Report Comment BetterorWorse, (10/23/2009 1:57:48 PM) It all boils down to the Metro Chamber now becoming a Political Action Committee using taxpayer funds that were supposed to go for marketing and job development in the City of Tulsa. What new jobs has the Chamber brought to Tulsa? Perhaps its time in this latest budget crisis that the Chambers budget gets reduced to fund only what it was intended to do...promote Tulsa for new business development.
	Report Comment Lance-a-lot, Tulsa (10/23/2009 2:30:14 PM) Is there any logical reason why they would opose the amendment to require Council approval for Ciy settlements over $1 million? If the amendment had been in place earlier,we might have avoided such a large payoff (taxpayer funded, of course) for the Greast Plains debacle.
	Report Comment The A Team, (10/23/2009 2:51:42 PM) Vote for Chambercrat Mark Porkin$ and the Chamber will be running this city by proxy.
	Report Comment The A Team, (10/24/2009 12:20:45 PM) Too bad our Mayor and City Council allow the Chamber to dictate what the city's legislative priorities and agenda at the state level through their One voice program.
	Report Comment Nuff, (10/24/2009 6:12:36 PM) The chamber is in bed with Mayor Taylor. These jerks make me sick!
	Report Comment Gramps, (10/25/2009 7:39:00 AM) The Peasants should always remember this: The Chamber is pro-ruling class. Whichever way they want you to vote...vote the opposite way.

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.