The Watonga Republican is running candidate profiles. Ward #1 and Ward #2, both four year terms, are featured this week.
WARD # 2
Deborah McGee, 77, is a candidate for Watonga City Council Ward #4. She moved here with her husband in 1991 and decided to run for council because, she said, the council needs good people with integrity.
Her priority is infrastructure, which she said is in dire need of repair. She also knows there is equipment the city needs, but it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It is complicated to understand how city government works, she said, and residents should ask questions of their council representatives to learn. McGee served as city clerk for two years and has seen first-hand ways the city can and has saved resources and taxpayer dollars.
McGee prefers the city manager-council form of government. She said she thinks it is the best form for a city the size of Watonga and is a fair system where everyone is treated the same.
Another priority is cooperation. McGee said the people have to work along with the city for the city to be prosperous and that hasn’t always been the case. People, she said, need to take the initiative to make it better, but acknowledges it is ok for them to disagree.
Cooperation must be used along with compromise, she said. No one is going to get everything their way all the time.
“If it’s broken, let’s fix it. Not one person’s way but the best way for the citizens of the city.”
Robert Sawyer, 38, is a candidate for Watonga City Council Ward #2. He has lived here his entire
life. He decided to run for office because of a lack of quality candidates and because he wants to see and be part of good changes.
He is concerned about the safety of the city streets due to potholes and is ready for the town to replace its water lines so that the streets can be repaired.
Sawyer believes the garbage pickup should revert to the city because the vendor does not have any pride in the town.
Sawyer wants the department heads to have more control over their departments. That could be accomplished by reverting to the mayorcouncil form of government, he said, and things were handled better under that government.
He said the city needs to do more to market the houses the courts give back to it. They should be rehabbed or sold, he said, instead of tearing them down and selling the lots. That would be a way to bring people into the town.
Sawyer feels complaints should be time and date stamped, a copy made and returned to the citizen who made the complaint so that they can follow up on its resolution.
He would also like to have a once a month gathering where the city council and residents speak with one another during office hours. “That way we can listen to the citizens and take their concerns up the ladder,” he said.
WARD # 1
Cheyenne Brown,28, is a candidate for Watonga City Council Ward # 1. She has lived here for eight years and decided to run for office to be involved n developing ideas and be a role model for children.
She thinks the city would benefit from reverting to council-mayor form of government, but the current managercouncil could be improved enough to work for Watonga.
She also thinks the garbage collection should be returned to the city employees because they cared about the work and the city would look better if collection was in the alleys again.
Brown thinks there could be a way to beef up code enforcement so that the department isn’t overwhelmed.
One of the items on her agenda is to show builders how great Watonga is.
“We have amazing schools and our parks are constantly improving,” she said. “I’m young and I see a bright future.”
Brown knows that most of the buildings downtown are already sold so she would concentrate on developing other areas for commerce.
She believes the town could benefit from a center for children that can be manned by parents and volunteers. Because she works at the school, she knows students need more to eat and a center could fill that gap, not just on Wednesday evenings when there are church meetings and meals.
Brown would like to find a way for council members to talk more to residents, maybe in a format like the coffee socials.
Dylan Ford, 40, is a candidate for Watonga City Council Ward # 1. He is running to be a voice for his ward and bring their concerns to the council.
His first concern is to complete the ongoing work on the city’s infrastructure so it can accommodate growth and sustain that growth prioritizing maintenance and upkeep.
He also hopes to entice a big box store because it would have an immediate impact on taxes, which could lower the cost of living for the residents. Ford also agrees small businesses are desirable but finding an affordable, appropriate location can be difficult.
“Growth may have to be tackled before builders come in or housing is developed,” Ford said. He recognizes there are costs, other council priorities and limited resources to take into consideration and knows he has a lot to learn.
As far as the form of government, he wants to explore other forms and dig into the existing structure. He would look at improving the existing system first, then change it if it is not the best choice.
Ford would work on emphasizing the lifestyle of a small, rural town with excellent schools, and knows there is a long way to go to get back to where the town was.
He admits there is a lot for him to learn and knows what he doesn’t know. He believes that government should adhere to what it was designed to do and not involve itself in other enterprises.
Roy Hampton, 63, is a candidate for Watonga City Council Ward # 1. He decided to run for office because he wants to help the residents, especially on the east side of town.
His first priority is a storm shelter in the east side to prevent residents from heading into a storm coming from the west to get to a shelter. A new shelter would protect the elderly, he said, who are taking chance after chance every storm season.
Another priority is repair to city streets and signs, such as aging and faded yield or stop signs. Experienced drivers know where the signs are but there are newly licensed drivers every day.
A third item on Hampton’s agenda is property owners who won’t keep the grass cut. His concern is the grass obstructing the view around street corners where an accident could occur.
“We should at least trim the corners for visibility, for safety,” he said. “You know, for the kids’ sake.” Hampton would like to see some of the empty buildings around town made available so businesses could come in and dress up the downtown area.
He is also big on the idea of more gatherings and events that are free or inexpensive and inclusive. One idea is holding a kite day where anyone interested could come out and fly kites or watch others fly them. It could be held anywhere without overhead powerlines and the celebration could be enhanced if food truck vendors were invited.
Tumara Moore, 43, is a candidate for Watonga City Council Ward # 1. She decided to run for council because she wants the town to thrive. She has been back to Watonga three years but lived here for eight years before her family joined the military.
Moore’s priorities are transparency in spending. “The people’s role is to hold the council accountable,” she said. “It’s more than just five people.”
She is concerned with the lack of residential involvement. Meetings have been held during the day and in the evening, with the same low turnout. The answers are available, but might be somewhat unorthodox, like putting a bounty on trash cleanup for children.
Moore thinks the city should continue the Cheese Festival, but for it to grow, the committee must be open to volunteers who haven’t always lived in Watonga.
As far as the form of government, she is willing to continue with the city manager-council format, but thinks becoming a charter city is also worth considering to learn how it might benefit the city.
Other topics on her agenda are to learn government spending, strengthen citizen action committees and develop a rapport with existing businesses to find out what types of businesses they think would complement and grow the town.
Ideally, citizens would become good neighbors who want to maintain a clean town and are tuned in to what is going on in that town with an eye toward longevity and stability for its residents and businesses.
Early voting is 8 a.m. -6 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the First Christian Church on Noble Avenue.
Regular voting is 7 a.m.7 p.m. April 1 at your regular polling places.
For information call 623-5518.