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He also serves as an ordained Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at a local church. . Helen Grant won the Norman City Council Ward 4 seat Tuesday, defeating opponent Gale Hobson. Saying she couldnt previously support the status quo of policing in Norman, Clark defended her vote nearly two years ago to cut $865,000, or 3.6%, from thedepartments proposed budget request that sought a funding increase. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Clark graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005 and then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2008. The citys unique position as the only Oklahoma municipality required to vote on the creation of a public utility poses a challenge for city officials to create an easily understandable, equitable funding solution, Clark said. Political Experience keyboard_arrow_down. Once she returned from the nation's capital, Kish said she was harassed, stalked and doxxed by "leftists" that called her practice numerous times a day for weeks on end, leading her to hire off-duty Norman police officers as security. I dont make partisan decisions, because partisan politics dont fill potholes. He said he wants to rebuild public confidencein the city council and bring backcivilizeddialogue and respectful disagreementto local politics by working with all sides of an issue to find compromises. The number of citizens who supported Clark's ouster was 153-percent greater than the number of citizens who voted to elect Clark mayor in 2019. E.W. He credited "a grassroots campaign" who wanted a change. 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Cockfighting fight turns back time at Oklahoma Capitol, The awkward family affair of Gov. Affordable housing doesn't just affect the homeless, it affects people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, Clark said. I believe in collaboration, positive hands-on leadership, and I think those should be priorities for the next leader of our city, Clark said. She also touted the city's hiring of a sustainability officer and a chief diversity and equity officer, saying the latter and the city council passingpro-LGBTQ policies and protectionscontributed to Norman getting a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's municipal equity index. As one of the common refrains among candidates, police funding is likely to be top of mind when Norman residents head to the polls Feb. 8. She swore, if elected,not toimpose a maskmandateorimplement business lockdowns due to the pandemic. Three years ago, the police union endorsed Clark, but the group rescinded its endorsement after the 2020 vote on the police budget that led the Norman Police Department to eliminate nine unfilled officer positions. Norman voters have chosen Larry Heikkila to be the city's next mayor, preliminary election reports indicated Tuesday. She represented her city in the 4th class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership initiative and is currently a fellow in the VV Engage Global Fellowship with Vital Voices. An example is our animal welfare shelter, Clark said. For more information on where, when and how to vote, visit the, Support independent journalism serving OU. I think we could have a ward-specific citizen commission, and experts in stormwater infrastructure and water quality combine again and make a proposal.. Clark also stated a desire to increase the civic engagement of OU students, describing them as student citizens of Norman. I love Norman, Hickman said. KOCO 5 asked the five about COVID-19 mitigation measures, working with a divided City Council, police funding, federal funds for cities and how to address Norman's growing homeless population. She earned a Juris Doctorate in 2008, and became director of OUs JCPenney Leadership Program in 2018. Its very clear that everyone wants to keep moving in a positive direction.. The mayoral race came down to incumbent Mayor Breea Clark and challenger Larry Heikkila. He also recently chaired thecitys Charter Review Committee. Mayor Heikkila and his wife have two adult children. 13h. Mayor Breea Clark will face Larry Heikkila in a runoff after neither candidate captured a majority of the vote Tuesday, preliminary election results indicated. Mayoral and city council elections will take place Tuesday, Feb. 8. Email Us Now; 800-516-3964 . This is a really important election for Norman, Hickman said, adding that the new mayor will appoint a new city manager and a new city attorney and that he has the necessary experience to do so. If passed, the city would be able to allocate more resources to make infrastructure improvements to stormwater conveyance and collection systems. or anything. She also wants the city to vote on reallocating Norman Forward dollars generated from a 15-year sales tax increase intended to fund quality-of-life improvements across the city. He moved to Norman in 1978 and was a longtime City of Norman employee who now sits on several Cleveland County citizen boards. Previous experiences with similar projects and collaboration at the county level could help alleviate those issues. Heikkila was endorsed by Cleveland County Commissioners Darry Stacy and Harold Haralson, the local fraternal order of police and the firefighters union, among others. At a mayoral forum held by the Norman chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police last month, the candidatesvowed toprioritizepublic safety funding after the Norman City Council, including Clark, in 2020 approved a cut to the proposed police budget an issue that has embroiled the city ever since. Clark graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005 and then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2008. Stephenson-Leuck, 67, said she jumpedinto the mayoralrace due to thepolice budget cut in 2020. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. But I actually see it as an advantage. Her mayoral tenure became defined largely by the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide policing debate. Dunn spoke on his vision for Norman and set lofty goals for the citys role in national politics. Previously, he served the citizens of Norman with seventeen years of service as an employee of the City of Norman. While on council, Thompson supported the city's first public safety sales tax that funded additional police officers. Norman voters will also vote inNorman City Councilraces on Feb. 12. Use the 'Report' link on Runoff: Mayor Breea Clark to face Larry Heikkila in April. Norman voters have chosen Larry Heikkila to be the city's next mayor, preliminary election reports indicated Tuesday. She saidRiverwind Casino,owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation, is the reason homelessness is on the rise in Norman. "Alice" Stephenson-Leuck and "Midway" Bob Thompson. I felt like it would be a disservice to my community and my legacy of service and all that weve accomplished over the last three years to walk away. Mayoral and city council elections will take place Tuesday, Feb. 8. She teaches several undergraduate courses, includingIntroduction to LeadershipandLeadership in International Settings. The City Charter dictates that if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, candidates who receive the most votes will face an April runoff. The individuals who do it, they dont take on debt. Ultimately, local government issues, such as infrastructure, policing, zoning and economic development should not be partisan, Thompson said. Mayor Breea Clark will face Larry Heikkila in a runoff after neither candidate captured a majority of the vote Tuesday, preliminary election results indicated. news. Its hard to focus on my professional career when the City of Norman requires so much attention. Janet was employed as a Special Education Teacher for 38 years, most of that time by Norman Public Schools. Each petition failed to gather enough signatures, Members of a Facebook group opposing Normans COVID response, Clark said she was continually targeted and harassed. NORMAN Although the four mayoral candidates challenging Norman Mayor Breea Clark span the political spectrum, they all agree public safety fundingwould be theirtop budget priority upon taking office. A political outsider endorsed by Gov. Thats why I really like what the stormwater citizen committee has come up with. I have a servants heart and I want to be a voice for the people. He also retired in 2010, after twenty-six years of service in the United States Navy. The city also needs to update its master plan for development that reflects how Norman intends to grow, he said. On today's date in 1911, record cold temperatures replaced record warmth on the same day. The proposition called for the monthly base fee to all customers to be raised from $6 to $7.80 for metered users. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. I am not at all in favor of it, Dunn said. Were not your typical city that just has an urban feel to it if you look at our map, it goes way past Lake Thunderbird, Clark said. As mayor, Dunn said his first priority would be for people to understand the need to conserve oil and fossil fuels in society. Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, Affordable housing has always been the missing piece in Norman, and something that Norman has kind of always struggled with.. Experience: Before her election. Reach her atmwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420. Clear skies. "These people messed with my livelihood, and that is cancel culture and that should never happen in the city of Norman," Kish said. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. If youre able, please First. Breea Clark is originally from Wichita, Kansas, where she graduated with her B.A. (Kyle Phillips / The Transcript). The more we can collaborate, the more we can stretch our dollars to do the most good.. Elections Summary Voter Registration & Polling Place Ballot Measures Issues Public Statements Political Parties Election Contacts Political . Gov. Each petition failed to gather enough signatures or was invalidated by duplicate signatures. You have permission to edit this article. In the race are incumbent Breea Clark, Bob Thompson, Dr. Nicole Kish, Larry Heikilla and Alice Stephenson-Leuck. During her tenure as mayor, the Norman City Council allocated CARES Act funding to local businesses and vaccine distribution. I will do everything in my power to support Mayor-elect Heikkila as he faces these challenges, she said. There was a problem saving your notification. She called local business closures at the start of the pandemic"devastating" forher practice. Analysis Efforts in Norman, Oklahoma, to recall Mayor Breea Clark and councilmembers Kate Bierman, Alison Petrone, Sereta Wilson, and Stephen Holmam were initiated in July 2020. OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and One of the silver linings of the pandemic is people really did start paying attention to local government more, and regardless of what side you're on, I don't think that's a bad thing, Clark said. Mayor | City of Norman, OK Information on City Council and Committee Meetings City of Norman, OK Building an Inclusive Community Mayor How Do I? each comment to let us know of abusive posts. The 2022 Norman, Oklahoma, mayoral election was held on February 8, 2022, with Larry Heikkila and Breea Clark going in the runoff. A Democrat,Thompson, 65, aims to get national politics out of local politics, create harmony among the city council and bring civility and collaboration to municipal governing, whichhe says should remain nonpartisan. In 2019, propositions for stormwater utility bond projects and a stormwater utility fee. Upon graduating from law school and passing the bar exam, I helped to create the Office of Academic Integrity Programs at the University of Oklahoma. Norman remains the largest city in Oklahoma without a dedicated stormwater utility. Breea Diane Clark (age 39) is listed at 718 E Johnson St Norman, Ok 73071 and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. We make a whopping $100 a month to do this, so its certainly not for the money. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stretch those federal dollars, build partnerships and collaborate to solve long-standing problems in our community.. Her mayoral tenure became defined largely by the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide policing debate. I want to thank everyone for putting their name on the ballot, she said. NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Former Norman safety manager Larry Heikkila defeated incumbent Breea Clark on Tuesday in the race to be mayor of Oklahoma's third-largest city. For accessibility assistance please contact the ADA Technician at 405-366-5424. Personal keyboard_arrow_down. He said the city needs the silent majority of non-fundamentalists to come into the fold and to make the arguments and to shame people into becoming more moral.. Norman Mayor Breea Clark looks up her election numbers during her watch party, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at Blackbird Gastropub. Votes cast totaled 24,345 with 12,999 for Heikkila and 11,346 for Clark. Theres no room for political ideology or political party in local government, because were not tackling issues like abortion or gun rights.