Challenges ahead for Tulsa’s new mayor
G.T. Bynum was sworn in as Tulsa’s 40th Mayor before a standing room only crowd at a Monday afternoon ceremony at the newly renovated Tulsa Central Library. Bynum was given the oath of office by his cousin, District Judge Bill LaFortune, who served as Tulsa’s mayor from 2002-2006. Also attending the ceremony was Bynum’s grandfather, Tulsa’s 30th mayor Robert J. LaFortune, as well as two other former mayors, Terry Young and Susan Savage.
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Bynum faces a plethora of challenges as he settles in to his new job, and although expectations for his administration are high, so are the stakes. Bynum campaigned on the promise of making Tulsa a more competitive, world class city, but in order to accomplish this goal he will have to move quickly to address issues ranging from public safety to education.
The new mayor said on Monday he is up to the task.
“All we have to do is be willing to work together and to work hard, and I am ready to work hard,” Bynum vowed, thanking the citizens of Tulsa for giving him the chance “to give it all I’ve got over the next four years as your new mayor.”
The following issues are among the most pressing that Bynum will need to confront in the early days of his administration.
Crime and public safety
As of last week Tulsa’s murder rate for the year was the highest in the city’s 118-year history. Property crimes are also quite high, and the city’s Hispanic population continues to be disproportionately victimized because of a real or perceived unwillingness in that community to report crimes. This fear stems from concerns that authorities might take note of victims’ immigration status, and although this contradicts official police department policy, it will be up to the new mayor and the TPD to make this case more effectively than has been done in the past.
Public transportation and infrastructure
Every mayor in virtually every city in the world can attest that keeping the roads repaired is one of the biggest ongoing headaches of the job. Extremes of weather and poor planning in past years have made this especially true in Tulsa, but the difficulty getting around experienced by drivers pales in comparison to that of trying to get to work, shop, or visit the doctor using the city’s abominable bus system. Fortunately, voters this year approved funding to improve public transportation and money is already in place to repair or replace the crumbling streets, but Bynum faces the challenge of implementing these positive changes in a way that benefits all Tulsans, not just those in the wealthier parts of the city.
Education
Not normally an area that has much involvement by local officials, lack of support for public education at the state level has forced the issue onto the mayoral agenda. Passage of this year’s Vision package provides money to help with teacher recruitment and retention, although what this means in practice remains nebulous. To his credit, on his first full day in office Mayor Bynum met with local education officials “to explore and identify areas in which the City of Tulsa can be of assistance to educators.” Making education a top priority of his administration sends an important message, and any success in reversing the exodus of good teachers to other states would be a significant achievement.
Jobs
Growing the economy and bringing more and better jobs to Tulsa is always top of the list for any mayor, but how successful this endeavor will be depends largely on how well the above listed issues are dealt with. Companies want to relocate to or expand in a city that is safe, well maintained, has a skilled workforce, and where their employees’ kids can get a good education.
Bynum has assembled a top-notch team and is saying all the right things as he leads a new generation of Tulsans into the future. Undoubtedly he will experience a honeymoon period with the voters, but the one element not on his side is time. As his predecessors can surely attest, these four years will go by very quickly. (La Semana)