Mayoral hopeful advocates a millennial-friendly OKC
Randall Smith says he would like to see Oklahoma City become a more attractive town to millennials, and see the city council become more accessible to citizens.
Smith, 58, is one of three candidates on the Feb. 13 mayoral primary ballot. He says he is not running a campaign and filed for office to spark a discussion of the issues.
The next mayor will succeed Mick Cornett, who has served a record four terms. Cornett is stepping down April 10 and is campaigning for the Republican nomination for governor.
Smith is running against state Sen. David Holt and University of Oklahoma junior Taylor Neighbors. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the votes in the primary, a runoff is April 3.
Smith was born in Clinton and graduated from Butler High School, where he was valedictorian in 1978.
He earned an accounting degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and, later, a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in economics and finance.
He worked for the state of Oklahoma as an internal auditor and has done accounting work for the Oklahoma Conference of Churches.
Smith said Oklahoma City could become a more millennial-friendly city by developing moderately affordable housing and adopting policies to promote renewable energy.
He favored more training for police in strategies to de-escalate encounters with citizens before they turn violent. Construction of new sidewalks improves neighborhoods outside downtown, he said.
“We need to pivot to a new direction,” Smith said.
He advocated having the city council meet in the evening once a month so it is easier for working residents to attend.
The council now meets at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesdays — every other week most of the year and weekly in the spring leading up to adoption of the budget.
Smith has phonebanked for OETA, Oklahoma’s public television network, and said he has volunteered for 15 years at the Peace House in Oklahoma City.
The Peace House is a nonprofit focused on human rights, economic justice, environmental sustainability and nonviolence.
Smith has been a “friend and ally” of the Peace House, said Director Nathaniel Batchelder.
“I think he would be a supporter of policies that help lift those most challenged economically,” Batchelder said.