Chris Medlock



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. Councilor Martinson’s analysis is something that deserves serious scrutiny and consideration. Increases in any area of city government that are exceeding the growth of inflation are troubling. As Tulsa ages, it will most likely see a greater need for an emphasis on public safety as a percentage of its budget.

    A balance is going to need to be struck between establishing a fair wage for our police and fire personnel and the probable need to put more people in the field to maintain acceptable levels of safety. The next mayor is going to have to work closely with the unions to find consensus on how best to proceed into the future. There is no ready solution lying out there. It’s going to take hard work and cooperation from all parties.
  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. First let me say that I disagree with the premise that past disagreements between the mayor’s administration and the council should be considered a controversy. This is only true for those who think the two parties should always agree on controversial matters. Debate in our republic is healthy.

    I have long been supporting a move towards changing our form of government to the City Manager/Council format, which is a more common standard for cities Tulsa’s size. Of course, such a change can’t occur without approval by the voters.

    Our Strong Mayor form of government vests too much power in a single individual. I believe governments work best when such power is checked, as we see at the federal and state level. Such a change would allow for a the hiring of a city manager, with training and experience in the complexities of running a city, who would serve at the pleasure of the city council and mayor, outside of civil service protections.
  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. If by improvement you mean a substantial increase in tax payer dollars being spent, then the answer is “no.”

    Tulsa is, and will be for the foreseeable future, a “car town.” There is always room for improvement, but Tulsa currently has a good bus system for the size and population of our city. When one passes a bus that has three riders on it, you can argue that we may have more than we need.

    Many of the discussions I’ve been hearing with regard to mass transit are less about how to “respond” to current and near-future demand for mass transit, and more about how to “create” demand for bus service and light rail. Demand for mass transit will continue to fluctuate as the price of gasoline fluctuates. Only a permanent rise in the relative cost of gasoline as a percentage of the average person’s income will create a steady increase in demand. With the federal government now pushing for more fuel efficient cars, as well as alternative vehicles powered by compressed natural gas and electricity, it is unlikely that such demand will happen any time in the near future.

    There is also a Chicken/Egg element to the discussion. Should light rail be developed as a response to increased population density in the urban core as a consequence of natural growth? Or, do you use light rail to encourage density? I believe that a long range plan should be in place for light rail for that time, if and when Tulsa becomes dense enough to support such mass transit. However, money and productivity spent on putting in a light rail system before one is needed, is an inefficient use of tax dollars and human capital.
  7. What would be your top three priorities if you are elected?
  8. Aggressively address crime in the city.

    Stand against any attempts to raise the current tax rate.

    Increase transparency in city government. This would include a requirement for all authorities, boards and commissions to video tape their meetings so that the public can view current or past meetings, and an increase in meetings held in the evening so as to increase the opportunity for public participation.