Candidate for Bartlesville Ward 5
Editor's Note: This voter guide has been updated since its original publication. For a complete record of changes, additions and updates made after publication, see the Transparency Report at the bottom of this page.
Bio
Editor's Note: The candidate participated in The Wiley Post candidate questionnaire but did not provide a biography or photograph for publication.
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 is not something that I had planned to do at this stage in my life, but after being asked, I prayed and others prayed about this decision with me. I felt convicted that this is something that I needed to do at this point.
My priorities in life are 1) Faith, 2) Family and 3) Country which includes my community. I have spent all my adult life in Bartlesville. In the mid-90s I had an opportunity to relocate from Bartlesville and made a personal decision to continue living here! I think the opportunity for our future generation is important and I want to create a community where these future generations want to return or move to Bartlesville!
I have been attending Bartlesville City Council meetings for several years and have spoken on many different topics before the Council. In recent years, the city council allowed the LGBTQ+ activist to hold events out in open public and in front of minor children disturbed me greatly and heightened my desire to become active in community affairs. I personally visited with an alderman from another city and brought back ordinances from that city to the local councilmembers to which sadly they failed to consider, even though that municipality had no such open gatherings for nearly two years.
In my opinion, government should be very limited as the Constitution mandates and its main purpose should be to maintain order, protect individual rights, and promote the general welfare of the people. This is achieved through a system that ensures the government operates with the consent of the governed and is limited by law. Government should “stay in it’s lane”, so to speak! One’s first question should be should government be doing this and what is the cost to the taxpayers? Can we return this responsibility to the people? In essence, is the idea or project an absolute function of government? If the answer is NO, then the solution is to return the authority to the individuals, families, communities, churches or local businesses!
Any government body should look at reducing spending as a priority, which would ultimately lead to reduction in taxes, bonds and indebtedness! If the government shouldn't be doing it, why are taxpayers paying for it? Government's role and responsibility to the people is to look at ways to reduce spending, while at the same time fulfilling its core responsibilities to the people it represents. The real question each should ask is not how much government should tax the citizens, but how much are the citizens willing to pay? More money is not always, and most rarely the solution! I commit to being financially responsible for taxpayer dollars, while looking to reduce roles and spending where the government is “outside its constitutional lane”. I am committed in listening to the citizens of Bartlesville and want them actively involved in their local government.
I am also for transparency and accountability in government, whether that be with the council and/or city employees. All should be held accountable whether it be their oath of office, or their roles and responsibilities within that government. Property rights and individual liberties should still matter to all elected officials!
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?
a. Business/Corporate development – Phillips Petroleum Company in the past had been a stabilizer for Bartlesville, but with their corporate move to Texas, it has destabilized our local economy. ConocoPhillips & Phillips 66 have continued to make a great contribution to our municipality, but they also continue to downsize locally. We must find new ways to diversify and add new employment opportunities for our citizens to improve our tax base locally. However, I want to bring quality jobs that do not add risk excess environmental exposure to our community. We can move toward this goal by recruiting businesses (large and small) that prefer a smaller community environment and desire good educational opportunities and a quality of life for their employees. Both are important recruiting trademarks. Utilize the expansion of our local airport to draw in new businesses and corporate sponsors. Look into possible opportunities like the Jetson eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft), a category of vertical take-off and landing aircraft that uses electric power. It can hover, take off, and land vertically using electric propulsion, encompassing motors, batteries, electronic controllers, and propellers.
b. Educational/Trade Skills Opportunities – we have a wonderful opportunity to collaborate and partner with Tri-County Tech to assist new business partners desiring to relocate to the area to provide the needed training to supplement the workforce needed to succeed. We need to take advantage of this local special treasure and resource.
c. Clean water availability - I want to seriously visit the water source issues and attempt to arrive at a meaningful and economic remedy to a problem that we have had for decades. While I understand that the city indicates that our current water supply might be feasible for 15 years, I have many concerns such as a declining water table supply at our area lakes caused by silt, and another drought situation which we have endured in the past. I believe this issue has been “kicked down the road” long enough and we must address the reality that our water sources and aquifers are being depleted.
d. Conservative Values – I will stand for the family and conservative values that are dear to me and the hearts of Bartlesville families.
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?
While there are parts of the Endeavor 2045 which I have no disagreement there are some things included within that package that give me great concern, which I expressed during the public input period.
My biggest concern, which I expressed to the council, is that the company who Bartlesville hired to develop the plan, Halff Associates Inc., took a cookie cutter plan they had basically developed for other municipalities within Oklahoma, and possibly elsewhere, and modified it to Bartlesville. Basically, Bartlesville instantaneously became very similar to many other cities in the state. In my opinion, we lost our local qualities that had made Bartlesville different and unique. In my opinion, Bartlesville should be a shining light on the hill (unique and different from other communities) and not just a continuation of other cities.
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?
Part of my response is addressed in Item #2. While I think there needs to be a recruitment mechanism to introduce outside business opportunities, I disagree that the citizens should be taxed with the financial burdens to “buy” a business. History has shown that in many of the cases, those businesses who commit to an area by extreme financial “inducements” often leave as soon as that inducement ends.
I believe that the municipal environment (taxes, educational/training opportunities, way of life, etc.) should be such that once a business is introduced and investigates, desires to relocate or develop a business within our community. It should be a “win/win” within our community.
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?
I am concerned that we are becoming dependent on increased revenue caused by inflationary conditions. I stand for limited government and therefore, I resent increasing taxes, debt and/or utilities just because it is convenient. This is not representative of a government conforming to its limited role in people’s lives. In other words, government should not “spend more” just because that money is available at any particular time. The funds are not the governments to spend unless such spending conforms to the proper roles of government.
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?
In general, I am against them. I believe they truly violate the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which protects our right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. It states that, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.” The 4th amendment takes this concept a step further by requiring the government to obtain a warrant before conducting a search or seizure. This warrant must be based on probable cause, which means that the government must have a reasonable belief that a crime has been or is about to be committed.
Additionally, under Oklahoma Statutes, Title 47. Motor Vehicles §47-7-606.1, the only use of ALPRs in Oklahoma is for the uninsured vehicle enforcement program.
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?
I truly believe that the City Manager operates as a CEO role in the local government similar to a corporate CEO and basically decides day-to-day governmental functions/activities of the city. The city council should take the lead in giving the desired direction and plan for the city! This direction should not come in reverse.
Campaign finance: According to the candidate's 2026 Pre-General Report filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission's Guardian system on Oct. 24, 2026, the campaign reported raising $5,726.28 and spending $2,537.90. The filing deadline was Oct. 26, 2026.
For more information about the candidate, please find the links below
Transparency Report
Editor's note
Sept 17, 2026 2:30 pm
The Wiley Post invited this candidate to participate in our 2026 Bartlesville City Council candidate questionnaire, but responses were not received by the publication deadline. Every candidate received the same questions, deadline and opportunity to participate.
Editor's note:
Sept 20, 2026 8:43 pm
Editor's Note: This candidate contacted The Wiley Post following publication of our notice extending the questionnaire deadline and submitted responses by the new deadline of midnight Saturday, Sept. 19. The candidate's responses have been added to the voter guide.
Editor's note
Oct 27, 2026 4:55 pm
Campaign finance information has been added to The Wiley Post's 2026 Bartlesville City Council election guide, including reported contributions, expenditures and links to available filings through the Oklahoma Ethics Commission's Guardian system. The guide also identifies candidates for whom no filing or registration was found as of the review date.
Editor’s Note: The Wiley Post provided every candidate with the same questions, deadline and opportunity to participate. Candidate responses are published exactly as submitted and have not been edited for spelling, grammar, clarity, length or content.
To ensure fairness, once the voter guide is published, no late responses, revisions or additional candidate statements will be accepted. This ensures no candidate can change an answer or submit responses after reviewing another candidate's published answers.