Meet The Candidates Running for Watonga City Council

Council Member Ward 1 Candidate Tina Willis

Tina Willis is running for the Ward 1 city council seat for the city of Watonga.

Willis faces Julie Almaguer in the upcoming April 6 election.

Willis was born and raised in Watonga and graduated from Watonga High School.

Previously living in Arizona, Willis moved back to Watonga to become her mother’s caregiver.

Willis has worked for Arizona Department of Child Safety as a case-aid supervisor, however, her work in Watonga has included working at RB Steakhouse in the seventh grade, volunteering with the chamber of commerce, Cheese Festival, Flip This Town, and Watonga Task Force, working with the Watonga Church of the Nazarene as a director for the Kids Day Out Program, as well as many others.

Willis has three children and three grandchildren.

When she is not working, Willis enjoys traveling, the water, gardening, exploring, doing research, learning, and sharing with others.

Why are you running for the city council? What are things you hope to accomplish if elected?

Giving back! The resources and training I have received will now be better put to use in helping our community grow.

What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a city council member?

Having lived in Mesa, Arizona for 28 years, I was so honored to have been provided with many great resources for training in leadership and community outreach.

I stayed very active in my Mesa, Arizona community.

I was on the board for the Martin Luther King Committee for the city of Mesa.

I also was the chairman for the MLK Candlelight Service, which grew at its origination of standing room only for this annual event during the MLK weekend events of the MLK City Parade, vendor courts, etc

İ was the Community Outreach Director for my church, Lovefest International Church in Tempe, Arizona.

A diploma graduate of the Azusa Ministry Training Institute. A member of Missions Team Change Point.

I worked for General Electric Appliances for 24 years in Phoenix as the Western Region Administrator.

I love to be involved in the community, coming together, for growth. The Watonga Foundation currently is working with former residents to bring remote jobs to the Watonga area, [as well as] affordable housing, and offer incentives to new businesses.

What do you think is the top issue facing the city, and how would you address that?

Dig into the roots of the original intent of the city council and how effective it is to our community.

Review the history of the city council and the voice of the community to see where opportunities for improvement can be implemented. How do you plan to involve residents in the decisionmaking process in the town?

Providing options for feedback to the Watonga City Council by other means if not able to physically attend a council meeting.

[Use] media as a possible option as it is already being used in most other city councils.

Use technology to do an assessment of volunteers, businesses, and organizations to better utilize the skill set of each person and to find opportunities for improvement.

Rally our community to work together towards helping come up with solutions, recommendations, and offer resources.

If elected, what are some steps you would take to get the city on a firmer financial footing?

I would utilize my Six Sigma Training. Measure, analyze, improve, and control the issues.

Take all the information, data, and issues, and use Brain Mapping to help see the whole picture and where the possible defect may be.

This information will also map out ways for our city to streamline costs and offer solutions.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

I was part of the two-man team that did the income survey for Watonga to be eligible to apply for NODA grants for upcoming projects.

I would take a look at the priority levels of all projects that would best fit our community’s needs.

Take a look at what the community has requested to be done and also what they would like to be seen done, in our community.

I also would like to hear the feedback of the city employees, business owners, organizations, etc.

What are some of your favorite things about the town?

I just love how our community has already started coming together to try to improve our town and the quality of life here.

The vibe continues to improve, and the people here are really outstanding!

We all must continue to feed and nourish this smalltown atmosphere and grow our community to a place where people will always want to come back to visit or would want to live here.

Why should you be elected to the city council?

[I am a] new volunteer that is ready to go to action on behalf of our community.

Ready to use the experience, resources, and the spirit of community to dig into the roots of our city issues by involving our community, businesses, organizations, schools, city departments, and all other areas of involvement with our community.

I truly believe that we can all unite for the solutions for the good of all Watonga.

An attempt to have Julie Almaguer answer the same questions was made multiple times, however, her answers were not submitted by the appropriate deadline.

Council Member At Large Candidate Travis Bradt

Travis Bradt is a current city council member for Watonga and is seeking reelection on April 6.

Bradt faces off against Dylan Ford in the upcoming election.

Bradt is an Oklahoma Real Estate Land Broker. He runs and owns M. Travis Bradt Properties, Inc. which sells commercial and agricultural land properties.

Originally from Freedom, OK, Bradt has been a resident of Watonga for 46 years now.

With a history of coaching, both in Greenfield and Watonga, Bradt said this allowed him to meet many of the residents of both towns.

With more than 40 years together, Bradt is married to his wife Debby Roof Bradt. They have two sons Zac Bradt and Lance Bradt.

During his free time, Bradt enjoys fishing with his oldest grandson Jude. Bradt has two other grandchildren, William and Evelyn.

“I love being a member of the small town of Watonga because it is where I can truly say I feel at home and where I belong,” Bradt said.

Why are you running for the city council? What are things you hope to accomplish if elected?

I am running for re-election to the Watonga City Council to continue on our path for improving our town with new businesses, improving infrastructures such as streets, lighting, keeping our hospital, cleaning up dilapidated buildings, trying to start a new residential development, striving to bring new businesses such as a Love Travel Stop, and being good community partners with our new Lucky Star Casino and Hotel Convention Center. We need to continue to build on short and long-term plans to help improve our Main Street.

What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a city council member?

I'm not sure anyone can really prepare for running for an office to run a city, but I feel like I have had many experiences to help me contribute to being a city councilman.

I have been a leader all my life being a teacher, head coach, President of Watonga Chamber of Commerce, previous school board member, elder, Sunday school teacher, and chairman of the board of Watonga Christian Church.

I have run two businesses in the Watonga area, Bradt Roofing for 18 years and M. Travis Bradt Properties, Inc. for 32 years.

Running a city is a huge undertaking but it can be done with pride, hard work, and integrity.

What do you think is the top issue facing the city, and how would you address that?

There are many top issues, but to me the most important facing our city of Watonga at this time is our infrastructure, improving all our lighting and streets, and updating our sewer, water, and electrical grid systems.

How do you plan to involve residents in the decisionmaking process in the town?

There is no doubt that we need to involve as many volunteer residents to help make our city grow, thrive, and be better.

Listening is a huge way of finding out new ways to make our city prosper and to be team players [so] we can accomplish much more.

We encourage residents to come to our city council meetings.

It gives them a better look as to what's happening and how things take place in our city and meetings. We need and want volunteers now.

If elected, what are some steps you would take to get the city on a firmer financial footing?

First off, let it be known, our city is on a firmer financial footing now than it has been for years or possibly forever.

This is because of our previous council members and their conservative decisions that have been made.

We have just come off of one of the largest amounts of economic booms we have ever been in with the oil and gas business thriving in Blaine County.

But don't let it fool you, all it would take is a catastrophe of some sort to set us back.

Therefore we need to watch out as to how we spend any and all of our community’s money and to make good decisions as to why we are spending their money.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

If we are going to get a grant, let it be 10 million instead! Seriously, we do need to

Seriously, we do need to improve our order from ODEQ to reduce the high nitrate level in our water system.

Also, we need to upgrade the existing electrical grid to accommodate higher demand for large commercial users and to be able to supply new businesses, street improvements, armory renovation for public safety, and many more.

What are some of your favorite things about the town?

We are blessed to be able to live in Watonga.

There are so many favorite things, but most of all, our people, library, parks, our schools and churches, our new Liberty Theater & Marquee, our Regional Mercy Hospital, Regional Airport, Blaine County Courthouse, our existing and new businesses, Tractor Supply, Roman Nose State Park, Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchen, our new Family Dollar, our new Loves Travel Center, and our new Lucky Star Hotel and Convention Center.

But Mostly All of our People!!

Why should you be elected to the city council?

Being a City Councilman is not easy, it is hard work, not just a meeting once a month.

One thing I do know, there will not be anyone that will try any harder, work any harder, or push to make our town better every day for any and all in our community.

I am very proud of everything "We as Citizens and all Employees of the City of Watonga" have accomplished together!!!

Together we will succeed and our town will thrive together!

I, Travis Bradt, humbly ask for your vote to the Watonga City Council, Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

An attempt to have Dyland Ford answer the same questions was made multiple times, however, his answers were not submitted by the appropriate deadline.