Jim Curd Jr.
Incumbent for Bartlesville Ward 3
Bio
As a longtime Bartlesville resident, I know how blessed our city is, from our incredible volunteers who unselfishly serve in so many ways, both known and unknown, to our large and small employers that contribute so much to our town’s economic prosperity and well-being. As the owner of Dink’s BBQ for over 35 years and Sterling’s Grille for over 25 years, I know what it takes to run and grow a business and help create jobs. I love what I do and owe my success to my wife Kacy of 41 years and my seriously dedicated staff, many of whom have been with me for over 15 and 20 years. They are amazing as are the many thousands of customers that have supported our businesses over the years
Our businesses have helped us raise two sons, who bring us great pride, Austin, who lives and works in Tulsa for the Grand River Dm Authority and Landon an owner/partner in Dink's. We have two wonderful daughter in-laws and four fantastic grandchildren, a pound dog "Amos" and "Gus" the "what have you done for me lately" yellow Labrador. He is a piece of work.
Having served in the 90’s as Vice Mayor along-side of Mayor Harvey Little, currently serving as Ward 3 representative on the Council the past 4 years along side Mayor Dale Copeland, continually serving on the Bartlesville Development Corporation (now the Bartlesville Development Authority), and a longtime youth baseball coach and parks volunteer/advocate, I have a solid understanding of what it takes financially to keep this city running, how the city operates and the importance of listening to, understanding and meeting the needs of our citizens. Our successful Parks Propositions from the 2018 and just recently in 2020 Bond issues have allocated over $14 million dollars to our parks, pathfinder and several new quality of life projects. They have added to Bartlesville's many other great attributes to help grow and make Bartlesville and great attraction and desirable place to live.
If re-elected, I look forward to continuing to work for the residents of Ward 3 and for the entire community.
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?
This election concludes my 12th year of service on the City Council across two separate terms. I initially served two years in the 1990s during the National Zinc cleanup and am now finishing my 10th year of this current term. My motivation is simple. As a local business owner for over 40 years—operating Dink’s Pit Bar-B-Que, Sterling’s Grille, —I am deeply indebted to Bartlesville for their support and for the resulting opportunities given to my family. The success of my business’s relies on dedicated, long-term staff and managers many with us for 20 to 30 years. I bring this practical business experience and collaborative mindset to my role on 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?
Diversifying our economy and attracting Companies and Growing Jobs: Support our strong Economic Development (ED) program and the Bartlesville Development Authority (BDA) to attract new industries, retail and restaurant choices and help retain and grow local employers.
Increasing Housing Stock: Work proactively to attract residential developers and streamline processes to build necessary housing stock in our community.
Improving City Infrastructure: Collaborate with volunteer city committees to create prioritized, prudent bond issues, maintaining the strong public trust and support we have historically received.
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?
No changes are needed presently but the plan is adaptable to the future. Economic opportunities, industry diversification and affordable housing are the highest priorities for our community. This well-founded plan was built on extensive volunteer and public input, and its four guiding pillars—Future Bartlesville, Prosperous Bartlesville, Livable Bartlesville, and Natural Bartlesville—are being put to excellent use today.
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?
Strong relationships drive our economic success. The city maintains solid partnerships with the Chamber, BDA, county government, schools, and non-profits, creating a stable environment that attracts businesses and residents. The Chamber and the BDA need to continue their successful roles. The Chamber supports local employers at the city, state and local levels, while the BDA serves as a leading economic force in Oklahoma. Recent innovations, like the public-private airport hangar and the industrial park spec building and attracting two new primary employers at Blue Whale and Lincoln Electric demonstrate our approach is working.
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?
In city government, cutting essential services and programs is a difficult choice but finding efficiencies is always essential to our role. Sales tax revenue drives a lot of our general fund revenue and helps service our capital improvements bond issues. When that revenue goes down or stays level, to cover the cost of inflation, government regulations and employee costs, making reductions in the budget and infrastructure improvements is necessary. Attracting and retaining high-quality municipal employees is critical to our success and drives a large part of our budget. Their mission is always to provide the most cost-effective way to delivery those services. Instead of reducing essential services or programs, I focus growing our local economy to help ensure solid sales tax revenues, and I will always continue practicing strict fiscal restraint to consistently deliver balanced annual budgets to meet our revenue challenges.
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?
I support automated license plate readers (ALPRs). They are requested by police leadership, supported by the FOP, and serve as a legal, vital tool to catch criminals and locate missing persons. I value citizen privacy, which is why these cameras operate under model strict guidelines, oversight and data access and holding restrictions that our council adopted to help protect privacy. They are used exclusively to fight crime, not to surveil everyday residents.
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?
Our current non-partisan council-manager system has worked exceptionally well in the past. It’s intention is to provide a uniform system of government that is supportive of all the citizens and not aligned with one political doctrine. The elected City Council sets policy adopts the budget, and sets the city's direction, this while the City Manager handles day-to-day operations. If policy changes are needed, the City Manager or Council provides structured options to be considered. This clear separation ensures professional administration and clear governance, and I fully support maintaining it.
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