Cameron Byers
Candidate for Bartlesville Ward 2
Bio
My name is Cameron Byers and I am running for the Bartlesville City Council, Ward 2.
I was born and raised in Fayetteville Arkansas. Skipping past childhood for the sake of brevity, I attended the University of Arkansas where I graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering and a Math minor. I met and married my wife, Lydia, and began our married life together here in Bartlesville almost 20 years ago. I have happily worked for ConocoPhillips for the entirety of my professional career in the IT space for GGRE (Geology Geophysics and Reservoir Engineering) and Geospatial technologies.
Here in Bville we are raising and home-schooling our 5 children: the eldest of which is almost 18 ranging down to the youngest at 6 years of age. My wife tutors at our local co-op, Classical Conversations, where the children follow a classical education program based on the Latin Trivium: Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric.
We hosted 5 international students over the years and currently volunteer at our local American Heritage Girls troop. My family regularly worships/plays in the church band at Calvary Chapel, where I accompany on bass, my eldest son plays piano, and the rest of the family joyfully sings.
1. Why are you running
Why are you running for Bartlesville City Council, and what experience or perspective do you believe you would bring to the council?
Because I am willing to serve and listen to the people. The citizens of Bartlesville deserve a local government who will: pay attention to their needs and concerns, listen respectfully, and provide solutions responsibly. This, first and foremost, is the primary duty and service of the council.
2. Your top priorities
What are the three most important issues facing Bartlesville during the next five years? What specific actions should the City Council take to address them?
1. Responsiveness of the council to the public's concerns- the public must be free to present their concerns to the council for a redress of grievances.
2. Flock camera cancellation, removal, and legal guardrails. I am zealous for my fellow citizen's rights as guaranteed by the constitution. Flock was an imposition without consideration of the people’s wishes.
3. Establishment of Bartlesville owned water supply. Plans and ideas exist for this as specified in Endeavor 2045 documentation.
3. Endeavor 2045
Bartlesville adopted the Endeavor 2045 comprehensive plan following a community planning process. Which parts of the plan should receive the highest priority during your term, and are there portions you believe should be changed, delayed or reconsidered?
The highest priority should be the development of a Bartlesville owned reservoir. Drought in 2022-23 highlighted the importance of greater resilience needed. Bartlesville is also not the only consumer of water- as we have literal downstream customers of our water sources. Securing water would allow more flexible deployment and expansion of green space, especially walkable green space, because the Oklahoma summers are terribly hot without shade! I do have some concerns about some of the language in the program, particularly with regards to DEI and possible infringements on property rights, the summation of which is best captured here: https://wcgopok.com/bartlesville-comprehensive-plan-documents-and-next-steps/.
4. Jobs and economic development
Bartlesville has long depended on major employers including Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips. What should the city do to diversify the local economy, attract employers and create or retain well-paying jobs? What role should the Bartlesville Development Authority and Chamber of Commerce play?
The economy expansion is dependent on minimizing cost of living (lowering utility rates, low land taxes) and low development costs. Most all things operate downhill of energy, water, and land costs. Additional incentives already exist as far as tax holidays for new businesses (to be reimbursed by the state). Refurbishing older buildings is a challenge and requires analysis of cultural impact, the wishes of the people, and practical needs of incoming businesses. Zoning is to respect the wishes of the citizens to decide what kinds of industries or businesses they wish to live next to.
Bartlesville's highest and most attractive quality is being an excellent town to raise a family. This is a strength that needs to be leaned into with intent and careful thought. Any development, event, or item championed by the city needs to answer the question: "Will Bartlesville families appreciate this?" If the answer is 'No' it should be tossed right out.
5. City spending and taxes
When balancing the city budget, where do you believe Bartlesville should spend more, spend less or maintain current spending? Are there city services or programs you would eliminate or significantly reduce?
The debt paradigm for funding the city is backwards. Debt is for time of crisis or emergency need only. Dependency on debt as standard modus operandi is presumptive on an unknown future, and unwise. Function of the city spending should be neither rampant growth at any cost nor civic neglect, but steady, modest, incremental growth with focus set on sinking funds (pro-active saving) for long term projects or emergencies. The goal of responsible management is to decrease the amplitude of the economic cycle- to elevate when low via spending from savings, or to wisely temper when in period of high growth via modest taxes, with approval of the governed. This cannot be done suddenly nor unilaterally, but will take city-wide dedication and time to 1) retire debt early 2) not issue new debt 3) not neglect existing responsibilities. Infrastructure is of critical importance- roads and power must be maintained/improved for the movement of people and goods, and the supporting of all businesses.
Above all things- city government spending must be restrained and prudent as each dollar taken is an economic brake on the engine of Bartlesville. Eventually, the hope is to build a stable fund that accrues value for Bartlesville as opposed to extracting value via indebtedness.
6. Public safety cameras and privacy
What is your position on Bartlesville's use of automated license plate reader cameras? How should the city balance law enforcement benefits with residents' concerns about privacy, data retention and government surveillance?
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) as they are used, with an AI aggregator in cooperation with unrestricted government access, are a blatant and direct violation of the 4th amendment and due process. The presumption of innocence is stolen, and the subversion of crime before investigation now becomes investigation before crime. The innocent are blanket targeted before any crime has ever been committed- or even if no crime is done. There are currently insufficient controls in place such as a judge issued warrant with limited scope of search. The creation of a panopticon is a road to a turnkey police state for any nefarious political actor, and is to be strenuously resisted. Failure to respond to the existing outcry has damaged public trust in both the council and the police, and has secondary and tertiary effects too lengthy to discuss here- the chief of which is the erosion of trust in law itself as benevolent. Society needs to have this trust in its law enforcement; it is a non-negotiable for the continuance of lawful society. Recent Police support of Flock has called that goodness and trustworthiness into doubt. It is an unnecessary and avoidable deficit that must now be earned back. I do not know how this is to be done. Media is overwhelmingly negative in portayal of law enforcement, and it is an uphill battle to win good favor in spite of the amplification of mistakes. I can only say that the police need to be seen as on the side of the people, and not set against their essential freedoms.
One of the most important lessons in military leadership is 'don't give an order when you know it won't be obeyed'. On the civic side, a similar lesson should be given: 'don't implement policies that the people passionately hate.' .
7. City manager and council roles
What do you believe is the proper relationship between the City Council and city manager? Where should council oversight end and the city manager's authority over day-to-day operations begin?
The council decides the role of the city manager which is not set in stone. Trust between the council and city manager must be earned and proven over time. The council is to periodically check in with the various parts of city operation and inquire about how well each area feels they are operating under the leadership of the city manager, and what could be done to improve city function as best allowed by prudent budgeting. It is good for the council to have a broad understanding of what each part of the city's offices does and to offer support, as each member of the council has a variety of skillsets they can bring to the table in service to all.
For more information about the candidate, please find the links below
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