Political correctness, the city attorney and ABC control on Aug. 25th ballot – Tulsa Beacon

Tulsans will also vote on five propositions on August 25 that deal with political correctness; nonpartisan elections; control of authorities, boards and commissions; and the status/role of the city attorney.

Proposition No. 1 would delete any references to partisan elections because Tulsas municipal elections are nonpartisan.

Proposition No. 2 would erase any gender specific pronouns or words in several sections of the City Charter.

Proposition No. 3 would allow the City Council and Mayor to remove members of authorities, boards and commissions by enacting an ordinance to do so.

Proposition No. 4 would amend the City Charter so that the city attorney would be appointed by mayor and be under Civil Service protection, subject to confirmation by the City Council.

Proposition No. 5 would expand the duties of the city attorney to not only advise the mayor but also the city auditor and city councilors.

It would also allow the councilors to pass an ordinance that is disapproved by the city attorney.

Shall the City Charter of the City of Tulsa, Article VI, Election and Qualification of Officers, Section 3.3, Refund of Filing Fee, and Section 5, State Laws Apply to All Elections, be amended by deleting any mention of primary (that is, partisan) elections?

Shall the City Charter of the City of Tulsa, Article VI, Election and Qualification of Officers, Section 3.3, Refund of Filing Fee and Section 7, Qualification of Officers; Article VII, Removal and Recall of Officers, Section 1.2, Grounds for Recall; Article XI, Fire Department, Section 3, FirefightersHow Appointed and Section 4.3, Decision, be amended to replace gender-specific pronouns with gender-neutral pronouns and other gender-neutral words?

Shall the City Charter of the City of Tulsa, Article XII, Miscellaneous Provisions, Section 4, Creation of Advisory Boards and Commissions and Section 11, Expiration of Terms and Appointments be amended to allow the Mayor and City Council to remove members of authorities, boards, commissions and agencies, after enacting an ordinance or ordinances for that purpose?

This is a proposed amendment to the Tulsa City Charter, that currently provides the Mayor with sole executive authority to appoint the City Attorney to either the Citys classified or unclassified service, which would amend the current Article X, Civil Service Commission and Merit System, by adding a new Section 4.1 to be entitled City Attorney appointment, requiring the Mayor to appoint future City Attorneys to the Merit Systems classified service, and the Mayors appointment shall be subject to confirmation by majority vote of the entire City Council.

Shall the City Charter of the City of Tulsa, Article X, Civil Service Commission and Merit System be amended by adding a new section, Section 4.1, to be entitled City Attorney appointment, providing that the person appointed by the Mayor to the office of City Attorney, which office is created by City Charter Article Ill, Section 4, shall be appointed to the classified service, and shall be subject to confirmation by the City Council?

This is a proposed amendment to Tulsas City Charter. The current Charter states that the City Attorney assists and advises the Mayor. In fact, the City Attorney advises not only the Mayor, but also the City Auditor, the City Council, and Councilors.

Likewise, the City Attorney is required to approve as to form and legality all City ordinances and resolutions, but the current City Charter does not state what effect absence of approval has on an ordinance or resolution. In fact, the absence of the City Attorneys approval would not necessarily prevent the enactment of an ordinance or resolution.

Shall the City Charter of the City of Tulsa, Article III. Mayor, Section 4, City Attorney be amended, by stating, at Section 4.C., that the City Attorney assists and advises the Mayor, the City Auditor, the City Council and Councilors, and by further stating, at Section 4.D., that the City Attorney approves as to form and legality all ordinances and resolutions, or declares, in writing if requested, the reasons for not approving them, provided that absence of this approval shall not prevent the Council and Mayor from duly enacting an ordinance or resolution?