November 5, 2018
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Besides all the local races and the state questions and the myriad other state and national races, Cordell voters are weighing whether they want a new form of city government.
Cordell Mayor Bob Plummer, who’s been the top elected leader of the community for about four years, has been very vocal over the last few months about changing to a more popular form of city government.
Cordell Aldermen liked the idea well enough, back in August, to agree to place the choice before voters on Tuesday.
Plummer says changing to the council-manager form will reduce the number of council members to five, one from each of the four wards plus one at-large position member. The most significant change would be not having an city-wide elected mayor for the council members themselves would vote a mayor from between their ranks.
But, there are important other characteristics that, Plummer says, makes the form of government a better fit for Cordell. He says it’s a more effective form of government and it’s recommended by the City Manager Association of Oklahoma, CMAO.
Plummer also points out the many Oklahoma cities have switched from the Aldermanic Form – which Cordell has – to the Council-Manager form and specifically points out that no cities have changed to the Aldermanic form.
Above all, no matter which form Cordell voters choose, he wants them to vote. Make their choices known to city leaders.
Plummer says, if approved, under the Council-Manager form of government, the City Council would choose every two years a member among their fellow council member peers, who would serve as Mayor.
Plummer was last seen Monday with a handful of self-made, white and florescent orange brochures that explain the pros and cons of each of the two forms of government. He was handing them out to Cordell voters.
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