Tulsa Election 2020: Mayoral candidate questionnaire

McGirt ruling and tribal relations: The Supreme Court's ruling in the McGirt case raises questions about the authority of Oklahoma and its political subdivisions to enforce laws in the reservations that everyone had previously believed had been disestablished in 1907. The too-large, too-low, too-bright billboard on the northwest corner of 39th and Yale is an example of how Tulsa's zoning and land-use laws are unenforceable in Indian Country, a term that was previously defined as land held in trust within historic tribal boundaries but, now, in light of McGirt, includes all property within historic tribal boundaries, regardless of ownership. The ruling also creates an apartheid-like situation where a minority of the population will make laws for the rest of us, who by reason of our ethnicity can never participate in the election of tribal officials. Will you lobby Oklahoma's congressional delegation to pass legislation formally disestablishing the Creek and Cherokee reservations, in order to restore the understanding of jurisdiction that existed prior to the McGirt ruling?

Immel: No.

Reddick: Many legislators say that this will not be an issue outside of new criminal law matters. I tend the lean towards the idea that this is just the beginning and we will soon see the rest of the local tribes take the same actions. That being said the next Tulsa Mayors term will be one that has to be handled as delicately but with firm leadership from Tulsa City Hall. Mayor Bynum has not shown Tulsan's that he can lead on an issue over the past year. He tends to pick both sides of a single issue inside of a 24 hour span. Moving forward with our local Native Tribal Nations, we will need to see a leader that doesn't falter under pressure and can stand firm on a decision.

Walker: Yes, we will. We currently have our policy/government relations person reviewing and keeping track of this ruling and its potential effects. Once in office, we will aggressively work with state and federal officials to support a solution that is in the best interest of our city and state.

COVID-19: Locally-owned businesses were hurt, to the benefit of the likes of Amazon and Walmart, by the city's shutdown of "non-essential" businesses in March. The city's decision not to block President Trump's June rally was controversial, as is the current mask mandate. What is the proper role of city government in response to a pandemic? What would you have changed about the city's response to COVID-19?

Immel: I believe an important role of city government is to protect public health and safety, and, to me, that includes helping to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. In general, and remembering that there was almost no testing or PPE available for any Tulsans in March and April, I would have liked to have seen a little bit earlier and more assertive approach earlier on. But I can't say I would have managed the situation much differently than Bynum at the beginning. However, I would have "reopened" more slowly and cautiously than the current mayor. Then, I would not have welcomed a major presidential campaign rally to Tulsa just as Covid numbers were spiking, which would have also greatly limited the protests and counterprotests. Finally, within 2 weeks of the rally and protests, I would have implemented a mandatory mask policy, and I would have done so by executive order if necessary. I would make sure that every Tulsan understands the nature of exponential growth in infection rates, and that every week, every day, and every hour we wait, can greatly increase the number of hospitalizations and deaths.

Reddick: The proper role of any government, regardless of in response to a pandemic or not, is to honor the rights and liberties afforded to the citizens by our constitution. That being said, Mayor Bynum handled the COVID-19 crisis terribly. I would have never cut the public off from their churches, support groups and communities. It is not the Mayor's place to decide if a business is essential or not. When providing for a family or service to your community, all businesses are essential! I would have used our City Hall to facilitate materials and resources needed to properly combat this crisis. I would have formed a committee of local health experts, such as Dr. Meehan, to provide me with fact based statistics on how to best handle this issue inside of our governments scope. And I would have never pushed for a mask mandate.

Walker: The proper role of government is to help support individuals and business owners in ensuring their economic stability through a pandemic. I would not have shut down the city. Shutting down the city hurt our small businesses which in turn hurt individuals and the financial stability of the city.

Police oversight: The proposed Office of Independent Monitor, modeled after Denver's OIM, tasked with overseeing the police department, would exclude those who have law enforcement experience from participation. Should Tulsa have a Denver-style OIM? What reforms and changes to police oversight would you support?

Immel: I believe we should all "Back the Blue," but we can, and should, continue to require high standards of service and accountability. I support the creation of a Tulsa OIM based on Denver's model. I lived in Denver when their OIM began its work. It was a little controversial at the time, but the community mostly agreed that something needed to be done about excessive force from the Police and Sheriff's Departments. That was in 2005, and the OIM continues its track record of building community trust between law enforcement and citizens, and reducing claims (and financial settlements) for excessive force.

Reddick: Absolutely not! Tulsa is blessed to have such a stellar model police department. We have created a high standard for people who want to serve and protect our community. Mayor Bynum's plan to create an OIM is one that will undermine our TPD. The idea that a purposely ignorant committee should stand over the shoulder of every police officer and criticize their actions, without knowing specifics about policy, procedure, or practice is reckless. I stand shoulder to shoulder with our TPD and wholeheartedly support them. I would only move to help alleviate the burdens of our police. I would create programs that reduce crime and mentor our most troubled youth.

Walker: No we should not. Our current system is the issue. It makes no sense to try and put an oversight over the same system. As mayor, I will work to implement systematic changes.

Crime: State Question 780 reduced penalties on many crimes involving theft, which now seem to be on the increase in Tulsa. State Question 805, on the ballot in November, would further ease penalties against repeat offenders. Do you support or oppose SQ 805? Would you support rolling back some of the changes in SQ 780, and taking a harder line against thieves?

Immel: I absolutely despise theft, but I do support SQ 805, and I would not propose changes to SQ 780 to reclassify theft under $1,000 as a felony. Oklahoma has an incarceration crisis that is not good for our state or for Tulsa. Crimes such as theft are most directly correlated to poverty, rather than the potential severity of prosecution.

Reddick: These are not the reforms we need to be concentrating on. We should rescind SQ 780 and move on to real legal reforms.

Walker: Yes. But it has been proven that a harder line is not the best deterrent to crime. Theft is a crime linked to lack of economic opportunity. As mayor, my administration will be focused on improving a person's economic situation. When you improve their economic situation then you can improve their lives and committing crime will not be a need.

Philanthropists and influence: Large foundations, most prominently the George Kaiser Family Foundation, have widespread influence in the government and non-profit sectors in Tulsa, as documented in Michael Mason's recent article on "The Kaiser System." The incumbent mayor was once a lobbyist for GKFF. The head of the Tulsa Community Foundation is a member of the City Council. Many Tulsans are concerned that the opinion of major philanthropists carries more weight at City Hall than the opinion of the voters. What relationship, if any, do you or the organizations you work for or support have to these philanthropic foundations? Do you believe they have too much influence over city policy?

Immel: I am not currently involved with any businesses or organizations having relationships with any of Tulsa's major philanthropic foundations. I have, however, noticed what appears to be growing influence of GKFF, in particular, in our community and our politics, and I have mixed feelings about what I have observed. To me, it is obvious that there is a lot of potential for conflicts of interest, but I can't say for certain that the local foundations have too much influence over city policy, simply because the City is not so forthcoming with certain information. I have also heard complaints from personal friends in Tulsa's arts community that they are unhappy with the level of influence some of the foundations exert in the realm of the arts. As Mayor, I would push to enact specific policies to prevent potential conflicts of interest, undue influence and corruption, to ensure that the interests of Tulsa's everyday citizens are fairly represented.

Reddick: Personally, I have no active relationships with these organizations. I was volunteered with many local organizations when I was employed with the University of Tulsa, but that ended in June of 2019. I do believe that these organizations have far too much influence within our Tulsa City Hall. We see this a lot more in recent years because of the close affiliations of Mayor Bynum and his COS Kathy Taylor. We see this in policies of property development downtown. We see this is ballot initiatives with parks on the Vision Plan. I would like to see Tulsa seek out the ideas and concerns of its local organizations a lot more. We need to take a step back and try to find our identity again. Mayor Bynum has allowed far too many outside influences to take the reigns of our great city. He is far too compliant with Bloomberg and too willing to turn Tulsa into a Beta City. I want to see Tulsa as a world leader again. Approximately 120 years ago, this city rose out of the dirt to become one of the worlds leaders in many sectors. We lost our way some time ago. I would like to see us return to our trend setting days and that can only be done by looking and investing from within.

Walker: The philanthropic organizations have too much power in this city. My businesses nor I have any connections with them. It is fine if they carry out their mission to serve, but they do not need to control everything that goes on in this city.

Diversity on city boards and committees: When Mayor Bynum appointed a commission to revise the city's animal ordinance, he chose a former mayor, a lawyer from a prominent, GKFF-connected law firm, a construction heiress, a veterinarian (who happens to be the DA's wife), and a non-profit manager. No one on the committee lived in north Tulsa, west Tulsa, or east Tulsa. Recent mayors have had a bad habit of calling on the same small group of people from the wealthiest part of Tulsa to serve on authorities, boards, and commissions. Do you believe that mayoral appointments should be more geographically, sociologically, and ideologically diverse, and how would you go about making our city's authorities, boards, and commissions more representative of Tulsa's 400,000 people?

Immel: Yes, I believe we need much more diversity across all of Tulsa's authorities, boards and commissions. I think the most straightforward way to achieve this might be through requirements for geographic diversity. An important goal of my mayoral administration is to engage more Tulsans in public service, including authorities, boards and commissions. I will implement a digital system that allows users from all across Tulsa to opt in to electronic notifications for not only meetings, agendas, minutes, etc. from any authority, board or commission of interest to the citizen, but also to be notified of vacancies on the same. It would also make sense to look at limiting the number of terms that an individual can serve in an appointed seat on an authority, board or commission to keep some fresh energy and ideas in these important roles.

Reddick: This seems like a trend, but it's simply because our last two Mayors have been City Councilors from the same Tulsa Council District 9. When elected a mayor reaches out to his immediate friends and supporters to fill those positions. We keep picking mayors from D9 and we will keep getting the same results. Tulsan's need to try harder to elect mayors from different backgrounds. I would suggest we pick a small business owner from East Tulsa for a change.

Walker: Yes, they need to be more diverse all around. As Mayor, I will work to create a more transparent opportunity for those who have been left out to have the opportunity to serve but looking at limiting terms citizens can serve and look at the time of day that these BACs meet. We have to create a city that is more open and transparent to all citizens, not just a select few.

Population decline: The City of Tulsa's population (as estimated by the Census Bureau in 2019) has declined since Mayor Bynum took office in 2016, while the metropolitan area grew over the same period. What do you think has caused this decline in population, and what would you do to reverse it?

Immel: I believe that the small dip in population in Tulsa is probably caused by young families moving to some of the neighboring suburbs to gain more house for less money, and the perception of better public schools. Relatively low gasoline prices have also made it more affordable to commute in to jobs in Tulsa from the suburbs. The core of my administration's platform is to focus on improving educational outcomes and facilities in Tulsa's public schools, as well as to get more innovative with zoning in Tulsa to provide more and better quality housing stock in the city. I do not foresee any decline in population being a long-term trend for Tulsa.

Reddick: Organizations like TYPros know exactly why we are seeing a population decline in Tulsa. It's because we don't have much opportunity for the highly educated in leading sectors of growth in our economy. Tulsa doesn't have a comprehensive city wide plan on how to better recruit high paying tech jobs. Case in point, when Tesla owner Elon Musk, was publicly criticizing California for their burdensome regulations and overreaching policies, our Mayor was implementing the exact same laws! Tesla wanted less government and more freedom, while Mayor Bynum was attempting to evict a tenant, shutting down our city, ordering a shelter in place, and creating a mask mandate. These types of policies will always chase off the next major employer for Tulsa.

Walker: The lack of opportunity, lack of diversity and decline in our public school system. As Mayor, I will work to create and implement city policies that are more conducive to small business growth and opportunity, open up the city to be more diverse by providing more opportunities to be engaged and work with our local school systems to improve education and access to educational opportunities.

School choice: Mayors like Cory Booker in Newark and John Norquist in Milwaukee (both Democrats) have been enthusiastic supporters of school choice -- charter schools, opportunity scholarships, tuition tax credits and other means to allow all parents to select the best education for their children, without regard to income or geography. Mayor Norquist noted that school choice encourages families with children to stay in the center city instead of moving to the suburbs for better schools. What would you do as mayor to encourage the legislature to expand school choice for Tulsa families?

Immel: My first preference would be to raise the level of educational outcomes in all of Tulsa's public schools so that families do not feel compelled to travel across town to attend school. However, I am open and willing to work with educators and administrators to examine the options around school choice legislation, and to make the best decision regarding the most appropriate way for Tulsa to move forward, if at all.

Reddick: TPS is an absolute embarrassment. We have to find better ways to hold them accountable for their recent failures. A few years ago we all discovered just how bad Tulsa Public Schools had become when nearly 65% of all 3rd grade students failed the reading portion of the Standardize Test. Our city leaders did nothing but erase the rule to fail those students and pass them on the the 4th grade. Prolonging the problem and missing a real opportunity to address our failure as a community. Short of abolishing TPS, I don't know where else to start. I think school choice and a voucher system would greatly help.

Walker: I will work with all school systems that operate in the city to provide access to schools of parents' choice and support school choice legislation.

Transgenderism: Trans rights advocates assert that "Trans Women are Women," and that the law should forbid any distinction, under any circumstances, between actual females and people who are male but claim to be women. Mayor Bynum endorsed this perspective in his executive order declaring "gender identity" to be a protected class on par with race and ethnicity. But many people agree with author J. K. Rowling that it's important to protect private, female-only spaces like restrooms, changing rooms, and domestic violence shelters, and to protect opportunities for women and girls to excel in sports, without having to compete against stronger and faster "trans women." Do you agree that "Trans Women Are Women" -- period -- or do you think that it's appropriate to draw a distinction between women and "trans women" under certain circumstances? What actions should the City of Tulsa take to protect private female-only spaces?

Immel: I support the new policy of anti-discrimination based on gender identity. To the extent that it is, or becomes, a problem, I would be open to designating certain restrooms or other private areas as female-only or male-only when and where appropriate.

Reddick: I would rescind Mayor Bynum's restroom policy. We have to stand up for our sisters and daughters. We must protect them. I do not believe that trans women should be allowed to compete in athletic competitions with other women.

Walker: I believe that you are the way God made you. Men are men and women are women. What you want to change yourself to does not change that. The actions the city should take are to enforce the state and federal laws as written, and to advocate and lobby for what is right.

Road diets and bike lanes: Many Tulsa motorists are perplexed and frustrated by the city's use of scarce infrastructure funding to re-stripe downtown streets and arterial streets to accommodate current fashions in planning like back-in angle parking, reducing available street parking, parallel parking away from the curb, bike lanes between parking and curb, and "road diets." Do you support the new road striping and parking practices, or would you halt their implementation and revert streets to their previous configurations?

Immel: In general, I am very supportive of the City's recent attempts to provide safer, protected routes for a wider variety of transportation options around Tulsa. I am still not sold on the back-in parking, but I do understand the need for "road diets" and bike/travel lanes. From what I have been hearing from constituents though, there is some confusion and frustration over certain designs and configurations - especially on 11th Street. I am sure there is room for improvement across the network, and I hope that we can all be patient while we work through this together, and while we wait for more of the street construction to be completed. From my personal observation, I have experienced occasional confusion with some of the recent changes downtown. But I believe some of the confusion can be mitigated with more and better wayfinding signage and pavement markings, as well as some PR work to help people understand how the bike lane network is intended to function, why it is of benefit to all of us, and how best to share the streets with non-automobile traffic.

Reddick: Mayor Bynum has made many bad decisions regarding our streets. This has created many traffic back ups and unnecessary road closures. We need a more Tulsa minded plan on how to deal with traffic and where bike lanes should exist. This was obviously not a plan created by the people of Tulsa.

Walker: No, I do not support the new configurations.

Eminent domain: The Tulsa Development Authority, Tulsa's urban renewal agency, has been seeking to declare near-downtown neighborhoods like Crosbie Heights and Crutchfield as "blighted" areas, which would allow TDA to condemn and clear homes and businesses, even if they are in good condition, for redevelopment. Do you support expanding the TDA's authority and domain? What limits should be placed on urban renewal and eminent domain in Tulsa?

Immel: The City of Tulsa has a pretty poor track record on "urban renewal" efforts. Any condemnation authority TDA has, or believes it has, should be reduced, not expanded. I believe that eminent domain should be exercised only in very rare instances when needed for infrastructure that simply can not feasibly be installed in a less disruptive location (such as a water tower, for example), and a detailed, verifiable report of the critical need for the eminent domain action should be provided to the property Owner and citizens. Generic reasoning such as "economic development" simply will not suffice.

Reddick: I believe our current Mayor is poised and ready to abuse this power to expand into the Pearl District and north of the IDL for his supporters and local developers.

Walker: No, I do not support TDA's authority and domain. Community planning should be led by the community in which the economic development is taking place.

Pearl District detention ponds: The City has been acquiring properties in the Pearl District for stormwater detention ponds, displacing families who have been attracted to an improving, near-downtown neighborhood, where they can afford to buy a historic home and fix it up. The Dawson family recently was given a reprieve as the city rescinded its condemnation, but the neighborhood (including Paul Harvey's boyhood home) remains under threat and homeowners are in limbo. City Public Works officials say the pond is necessary to protect the Spirit Bank building against a 100-year flood. Other experts suggest a combination of creative solutions can provide stormwater protection without requiring a neighborhood to be demolished for a detention pond. Would you support deleting the Pearl District ponds from the stormwater plan, so that Pearl District neighborhoods can be preserved?

Immel: Yes. One particularly compelling strategy for alternative stormwater management is to implement Low Impact Development strategies in the Elm Creek basin, and across the city.

Reddick: Our current Mayor seems to be ready to erase Tulsa history at every turn. I would instead create a grant program for this district to help revitalize these historic homes. It is important for a diverse city to have many different communities so that people have many options. It helps create a more cohesive base of stakeholders. This is why Tulsa has a problem retaining its people and growing its population. We aren't willing to invest.

Walker: At this time, I would have to do some more research on this particular topic.

Panhandlers: Panhandlers seem to be more visible and aggressive in Tulsa, on street corners and in front of stores. There seem to be more encampments of people who appear to have chosen vagrancy as a way of life and don't want social services. What is your plan for the problem we have in Tulsa with panhandlers and vagrants?

Immel: I believe we need to start by looking closely at the existing "A Better Way" program to see what's working, and what isn't, and then modify and/or scale the program up or down as appropriate. If the problem continues to grow post-Covid, we will need to identify new strategies to keep panhandlers safely away from the roadways, and perhaps provide fundamental shelter and sanitary facilities in designated areas around town. This is a highly visible manifestation of the impact Covid-19 is leaving in its wake.

Reddick: First I would create a plan to reduce Tulsa's overgrown areas. These are everywhere across our city. They attract nomadic people to create "tent cities". Second, I would stop Mayor Bynum's program to pay the homeless $10 an hour to clean the parks they sleep in and destroy. On any given night, there are approximately 1300 people sleeping on the street on Tulsa. Our current Mayor has added to this problem. Overwhelming our local organizations. Citations for panhandling don't seem to be working. I would suggest that instead of handing money directly to panhandlers, send the same money or more to a local organization that actively helps this community, like John 3:16.

Walker: We need to work with our state officials to find caretakers who are receiving funds for these individuals and make sure that money is going to ensure housing for those out on the streets.

River projects: Many Tulsans are questioning the wisdom of spending hundreds of millions of dollars on building a new Arkansas River dam near Jenks, replacing the existing low-water dam at 31st St, and demolishing and replacing the historic and beloved Midland Valley pedestrian bridge. Critics cite the negative impacts of dams on wildlife, the negligible effect on tourism, the need for recreational facilities in other parts of the city, and the backlog of infrastructure needs throughout the city. Would you support an alternative plan to remove the Zink Lake dam, negotiate a Keystone Dam water-release plan with the Corps of Engineers to keep water flowing in our reach of the Arkansas River, and rehabilitate the existing pedestrian bridge, so that the money for the dams could be reallocated for more urgent needs?

Immel: Yes, absolutely.

Reddick: First, lets me address the fact that our Mayor purposely cut off West Tulsa when we removed the pedestrian bridge and created a bridge to nowhere program. Mayor Bynum started a city wide participation to create a new pedestrian bridge that would connect west Tulsa to the Gathering Place. The bridge selected was millions of dollars over budget! Creating an issue of if and when to ever reconnect West Tulsa to the Riverside Parks. As for the Zink Dam, we've been talking about building this for decades. It wasn't four years ago when GT was caught lying about an agreement with the Creek Nation to constructing these low water dams. That being said, its been long enough. I realize we have more urgent issues to address but this has been voted on and needs to be finished already.

Walker: Yes, I would. The dams and potential attractions that are claimed would come would only benefit one section of town. We need a plan that will benefit all of Tulsa if that kind of money is going to be spent. Or find an alternative that is not burdensome on all of Tulsa.

Backyard chickens: Many Tulsa families have started raising chickens in their own backyards as part of a sustainable way to feed themselves, but current limits in the city ordinance mean that a family cannot keep enough chickens to have a sufficient supply of eggs. (Meanwhile, the city ordinance allows people to keep as many as 300 racing pigeons in a residential area.) Advocates see backyard chickens as one aspect of a strategy to enable greater access to affordable, healthy food. Do you support increasing the number of chickens allowed in residential neighborhoods?

Immel: I support increasing the number of chickens allowed in residential neighborhoods (hens only, no roosters). The maximum allowed number of hens should probably be determined as a function of the square footage of open space on the residential lot, and possibly of the residential zoning of the lot. The increased right to keeping more backyard chickens would of course come with greater responsibility to ensure that the birds are fed, watered, and sheltered in a humane fashion.

Reddick: I support any policy changes that encourage the public to be more self reliant. As long as we remain within healthy limits. I realize our city ordinances and regulations do not always make sense.

Walker: I am open to looking at increasing the number.

National politics: Oklahoma voters will have six choices for president on the November ballot: Joe Biden, Jo Jorgenson, Brock Pierce, Jade Simmons, Donald Trump, and Kanye West. Which presidential candidate has your vote, and why?

Immel: Biden, because he is the only candidate likely to beat Trump.

Reddick: Without question, President Donald Trump. I've been an avid supporter of Mr. Trump since the day he came down that escalator in 2015. I saw all the molds being broken and a real advocate for change. He inspired many patriots to seek public office that day, including myself.

Walker: I am voting for President Trump. The President is a business man and has implemented policies that help small business owners. In Tulsa, we need to strengthen our small businesses, and his federal policies will help to do that.

Questions about your campaign:

Please name the principal leaders and advisers in your campaign, whether paid or unpaid (e.g., campaign manager, campaign consultant, media consultant, treasurer, volunteer coordinator, communications director, social media manager).

Immel: I am the Campaign Committee Chair, working on the day-to-day activities and management. My campaign has no other direct roles, other than my Treasurer, Robert Farr.

Reddick: Campaign Manager: Mr. Bryan Keating. Campaign Consultant: Pastor Craig Iott

Walker: My campaign team is Avenu Consulting. Charity Marcus and Matthew Lee, unpaid.

For challengers only: Incumbents have a massive name recognition advantage. Other than social media, what methods are you using to reach voters who may never have heard of you? (Examples: Direct mail, phone calls, door knocking, TV and radio advertising.)

Immel: Aside from occasional local media coverage, I currently rely on social media only.

Reddick: This is a true grassroots campaign. We are shaking hands and reaching out to the communities of Tulsa. We actively seek out the leaders in every neighborhood and try to get their input. This is not a campaign of forcing our ideas on the public and getting their support. This is a campaign based on real issues and real solutions, based on information obtained from Tulsa's finest.

Walker: We are knocking doors, making calls, running ads on social media and radio, attending events and forums, hosting meet and greets, and conducting online chats.