Elizabeth Anne Wright



Q&A

  1. A recent presentation by a city councilor showed Tulsa's overall police and fire budget has grown more than three times above the rate of inflation over the last 40 years without adding manpower in at least the last decade. It has been described as "unsustainable growth" with the city's current level of revenue. How would you propose to address this situation?
  2. Granted, Tulsa is suffering budget shortfalls as are many cities. However, I was not fully satisfied with either the information presented by said councilor or the coverage in the newspaper. City after city is reviewing how to manage budget shortfalls and from a superficial review both the Fire and Police departments appear to come under heavy scrutiny across America. In a matter of speaking both the Fire and Police departments are contractors, except the hiring agency cannot go out for competitive bids. This raises several questions across the board. Since Fire and Police are represented by unions, is the scrutiny due to the mere fact that municipalities have to negotiate? Negotiations with the union representing city employees union does not appear to be as highly visible.

    I looked at the 18 cities illustrated as comparable cities and found 55.6% as having a substantial higher cost of living, ranging from Colorado Springs (17%) to Oakland (80%). The remainder of the cities (44%) was less than Tulsa by 2-3%, the same, or higher by 1-4%.

    To determine whether or not the fire and police budgets have “unsustainable growth” requires constructive investigation, review and analysis. If we are to accept the comparable cities as standards then we must look at their revenue streams as well as their methods for dealing with similar budget issues. We must explore and examine alternative solutions.

    In 2007, state legislation regarding Fire Protection Districts was introduced and subsequently defeated. Fire Districts are now eligible for re-introduction into the 52nd legislative session and could provide much needed revenue.
  3. Over the last several years, controversy between the City Council and mayor's administration has triggered discussions about changing from the current strong mayor- council form of government to a city manager-council form of government and about having Tulsa's elected offices be non-partisan. Would you support either of these ideas? Why or why not?
  4. I heartily support evaluating the ramifications of changing to a council-manager or a city manager –council- mayor system of government. Based upon preliminary research of the International City/County Management Association website and then further investigation into several of the cities which use a form of the council-manager system, I am impressed by how successful these cities appear. More in depth analysis is merited.

    Over and over again I have heard comments regarding Tulsa’s prior municipal government. Positive comments point to a more efficient government; negative comments recall disproportionate representation. Electing district non-partisan council members combined with the best elements of the city manager-council-mayor may be the better avenue for Tulsa.

    Pursuing a metro approach to city/county issues may resolve many of the conflicts the city of Tulsa is facing with outlying communities. As growth continues to blur the clear distinctions between cities within Tulsa County and interdependence strengthens, it may be time to approach a merging of infrastructure while maintaining the independent identities our pioneering heritage demands of us.
  5. Improving mass transit (i.e. additional bus service, rail lines, etc.) has been a major topic of discussion through the city's ongoing PlaniTulsa comprehensive planning process. Do you believe Tulsa's public transportation system needs improvement? Please explain.
  6. Whether we like it or not the automobile will, within our children’s lifetime, become nearly obsolete. We can either welcome or be forced into alternative modes of transportation. While the independence of car ownership and travel is difficult to conceive of ever being without, visitors to mass transit oriented communities often express amazement at the ease and simplicity of travel. For us, in our very automobile centered culture, we will need a paradigm shift - not only with regard to public transportation itself, but the supporting transportation once we get to our destination. Tulsa’s public transportation presently does not meet the needs of many citizens. I suspect we will need to adapt in stages and be proactive in our attempts to welcome a new phase of community.
  7. What would be your top three priorities if you are elected?
  8. My priorities have evolved and matured as I have researched and answered various candidate questionnaires. First and foremost is addressing Tulsa’s revenue streams. Without aggressive lobbying at the state level Tulsa is hindered in its efforts to develop proactively and responsibly to the myriad of needs and demands of our citizenry. Combined with assessing potential revenue avenues may require incorporating a different form of municipal government as well as a metro approach to Tulsa’s city and county responsibilities.

    Secondly, I will advocate for the voice of small businesses in Tulsa. According to the Tulsa Chamber, small businesses (less than 10 employees) account for an economic impact of $3.1 billion in Tulsa. Local economic development supports, strengthens and stabilizes communities. Let us turn our attention to what we have, to the people who are grounded in Tulsa and place emphasis on the very small business to revitalize neighborhoods and stimulate local growth.

    Finally, I will bring my experience as a Tulsa Metropolitan Planning Commissioner to the council. As PlaniTulsa codifies into zoning and ordinances, it is imperative that land use encourage local economic development, be sensitive to environmental concerns and address all infrastructure impact.
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