Not sure if you live in OKC's Ward 2? Check here and meet your city council election candidates
City council seats are up for election for about half of Oklahoma City's residents Feb. 14.
In Ward 2 — which encompasses northwest Oklahoma City neighborhoods like the Paseo Arts District and Belle Isle, and surrounds Nichols Hills — incumbent James Cooper is being challenged by business owner Weston Storey.
Alexander DeShazo, 22, is on the ballot but told The Oklahoman the campaign was no longer a priority for him due to personal reasons.
Storey, 32, is the owner of Pristine Pest Control and has lived in Oklahoma City for 13 years. He graduated from Hydro-Eakly Public Schools in 2009.
Cooper, 40, was first elected in 2019, and during his time on the council has advocated for alternative response to mental health 911 calls, prioritizing affordable housing to address homelessness and investing in public transit. A resident of Oklahoma City for 13 years, Cooper teaches English and film studies at Oklahoma City University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma, and received a master's in English from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Oklahoma City University.
Oklahoma City Council elections:Who's running? Check OKC ward map, where to vote and more
The Oklahoman sent each candidate for city council the same four questions that will help voters get a feel for each candidate's priorities and stances on issues facing Oklahoma City. Find the candidates for Ward 2's responses below, and follow the links to see responses from candidates from Ward 5, Ward 6 and Ward 8.
Oklahoma City Ward map
Also, following some redistricting after the 2020 census, your ward may have changed since the last city council election. To be sure of which Oklahoma City ward you live in, be sure to check out the city's interactive ward map.
Ward 5 Candidate Q&ANot sure if you live in OKC's Ward 5? Check here and meet your city council election candidates
Ward 6 Candidate Q&A:Not sure if you live in OKC's Ward 6? Check here and meet your city council election candidates
Ward 8 Candidate Q&A:Not sure if you live in OKC's Ward 8? Check here and meet your city council candidates
Editor's note: Responses from all candidates were edited for brevity and clarity. Responses are in the order candidates will appear on the ballot. Additional notes from The Oklahoman are found in italics.
Q: What would be your top priority if you were to win your election?
Storey: Our “MAPS” projects have transformed Oklahoma City in so many ways. Transforming our city into what we have today. However I believe we need to shift our focus on making OKC a fantastic place to visit, to a great place to live at. Let's bring back Thunder Alley also.
My number one priority if elected will be to assist and find an actual solution for Oklahoma City’s rising homeless epidemic, including addressing the lack of affordable housing. MAPS 4 is spending $32 million through 2028 for "Beautification" in our city, and nearly another $1 billion on parks, centers, infrastructure, and the Paycom Center, and only $55 million to help fight homelessness.
The billion-dollar MAPS projects will not be utilized much if families don’t want to visit our parks, centers, or Bricktown if they are worried about the safety for their families.
Cooper prefaced his answer by pointing to housing initiatives included in MAPS 4, as well as a survey by OKC's Affordable Housing Study that shows heavy demand for 1-2 bedroom housing, stating OKC's next bond "must address" this issue.
Cooper: I’m working to identify, preserve, and rehab 1-2-bedroom housing, and our bond should build this housing, focusing on median-income workers like in education, public health, public safety, and our service industry. Same for families wanting to live in OKC’s urban core needing 3-5-bedroom housing.
COMPLEX CONCERNS:Public housing is disappearing as solution as unmet demand rises in Oklahoma
OKC should also incentivize purchasing dilapidated historical buildings, rehabbing them into mixed-use housing developments and community cultural centers, and community land trusts to do similar, proven work.
Let’s also better connect residents to down payment assistance, financial literacy, and create incentives to build missing middle-income housing, so we move renters into homeownership and make sure renters can afford monthly bills.
Q: Oklahoma City is the 10th-largest city in the nation, creating debate over whether the city needs to focus on existing infrastructure, or accommodating those in rural areas. What would you do to ensure residents across the entire community receive comparable city services?
Storey: With such a large city, constant infrastructure repairs will always be ongoing. There are many tools available for individuals to reach out to their public officials and express their concerns or to ask any questions. Rural development is extremely important for a growing city such as Oklahoma City; however, infrastructure in need of major repair where the population is highest should take precedence over new rural development.
Cooper: As Ward 2 councilor, I represent some of OKC’s oldest neighborhoods, commercial districts, parks, and drainage infrastructure. Because I’m worried existentially about local government’s ability to provide equitable service across our city’s 621 square miles — particularly when it comes to sidewalks, drainage, street conditions, and providing reliable public transit — I’ve voted in the minority against annexing existing farmland into our city, and I’ll continue to do so.
More:Oklahoma City's latest annexation left nearby residents feeling unheard
Presently, I’m working to find creative ways to utilize OKC’s next general obligation bond to better address infrastructure needs. I’m also serving on our city’s development code update stakeholder advisory team, and I look forward to studying and implementing best practices we know will make OKC and our budget more equitable.
Q: The Oklahoma City metro area continues to show strong population growth and a low unemployment rates. What would you do to ensure those trends continue?
Storey: I want to help develop different “Trade Training” programs or “Job Fairs” for high school students and adults who do not choose to continue their education after high school. There’s a large percentage of young individuals who, after high school, want to start a career but do not know where or how to get started. Most employers strongly recommend experience as well.
This will be intended for young people to get their foot inside the door with different trade programs, and receiving experience.
Cooper: A majority of Ward 2 residents understand a safer and economically-stronger city means arterial roads and neighborhood streets lined with streetlights, ADA-accessible sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes, and crosswalks connecting us to the basic needs of an individual — nearby grocery stores and schools, restaurants and specialty shops, patios and bars, parks with recreation, and affordable housing and healthier living.
Toward this effort, I worked with Councilor (JoBeth) Hamon and residents to create MAPS 4’s $96.5 million Sidewalks, Bike Lanes, Trails, and Streetlights project, so students, workers, and seniors can navigate our neighborhoods and city safely.
Starting Fall 2023, Northwest Rapid provides public transportation from covered bus stations every 12-20 minutes — 7 days a week — for the first time in OKC’s history. I worked with Mayor (David) Holt and Councilor Hamon to ensure MAPS 4 includes two new BRTs (bus rapid transit routes), connecting downtown to South and Northeast OKC. MAPS 4 also converts most existing stops to covered bus shelters. When MAPS 4 concludes in a decade, we’ll have OKC’s first reliable transit system.
Public input:Oklahoma City residents asked for opinion on neighborhood parks, bus rapid transit
Q: Oklahoma City and its police department and the state of Oklahoma are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice to determine whether they discriminate against adults with behavioral health disabilities. Does this concern you, and how would you address the issue if you are elected?
Additional coverage regarding this investigation can be found at Oklahoman.com.
Storey: If Oklahoma City Police Officers have the responsibility to serve and protect the public, putting themselves in situations where deadly force may be used, I believe peak mental and behavioral health should be an absolute job requirement for active police officers.
Adults with behavioral health disabilities should never be discriminated against in the workplace. The focus should be helping guide these individuals where their experience, education, or talents may be utilized most.
Cooper: Following local protests during Summer 2020 resulting from the police-involved murder of George Floyd, OKC City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution I wrote with municipal attorneys to hire a consultant specializing in community policing research, create a working group of residents and — through their collaboration — conduct a study on six public safety policy proposals. At a council meeting Spring 2022, councilors voted 8-1 to start the process of implementing my resolution along with additional policy recommendations related to reimagining OKC’s approach to public safety.
The resolution I wrote comes from attending trauma-informed police training, use-of-force training, reality-based training, and police ride-alongs with both Ward 2 police divisions — all at my request before the protests and after taking office.
With our two most recent budgets, council approved $2.4 million toward those six proposals, including an initial $300,000 in an upcoming alternative response to mental health 911 calls for the first time in OKC History.
During my second term, I look forward to learning more about this investigation and providing accountability for our city’s historic work.
Oklahoma City's city council election is Feb. 14
Love, and democracy, will be in the air this Valentine's Day.
Oklahoma City residents from wards 2, 5, 6 and 8 will vote on their next city councilmember on Feb. 14. Monday was the deadline to request an absentee ballot, but to see a sample ballot or find your polling place, go to the Oklahoma State Election Board's OK Voter Portal. Absentee ballots must be hand-delivered by 5 p.m. the day prior to an election or received by mail no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Early voting will run Feb. 9 and 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Oklahoma County Election Board, 4201 N Lincoln Blvd. South Ward 5 residents can vote early at the Cleveland County Election Board at 641 E Robinson in Norman, or the Moore Norman Technology Center at 13301 S Pennsylvania in Oklahoma City.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the location of early voting in Cleveland County.
What's ahead?
You can find Q&As for all of the wards up for election on Feb. 14 on oklahoman.com, or look for them in the newspaper this week.
Monday: Ward 5
Tuesday: Ward 6
Wednesday: Ward 8
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Ward 2 city council election candidates answer goals for office
