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January 6, 2009

City council shoots down mayor’s proposal

Hammons was seeking reporting of campaign finances

By Liz McMahan



The City Council’s Public Works Committee on Tuesday shot down Mayor John Tyler Hammons’ proposal for a campaign finance reporting law for the city.

The measure failed with Councilors Bob Luttrull, Robert Perkins, David Jones, Jim Ritchey, James Gulley, and Shawn Raper voting against it. Hammons and Councilor David Ragsdale voted for the measure. Councilor Jackie Luckey was absent.

Hammons’ proposal would have required all candidates for city offices to file disclosures with the city clerk reporting any campaign contributions of $200 or more.

Failing to comply could result in a fine and a misdemeanor conviction.

The councilors voting against the measure did not hesitate in letting Hammons know how much they disliked his proposal.

“I’m very much opposed to it,” Luttrull said.

“On what grounds?” Hammons asked.

“I think it’s just stupid,” Luttrull answered.

Ritchey said Hammons’ repeated messages calling for openness and transparency in the city government implies those now in office have something to hide.

He asked Hammons who is doing what that he thinks is wrong.

Ragsdale said he felt requiring the disclosures could keep some people from seeking election to the council, not because they had something to hide, but because it would create a lot of red tape that potential candidates would not want to wade through.

Hammons said in his explanation of the proposed law that it was patterned after one in effect in Broken Arrow. It would allow anyone to make an allegation of wrongdoing by a candidate and require a special prosecutor to investigate. The records of who made the complaint and, possibly, the outcome of the investigation would not necessarily be open to the public.

Hammons said cities with charters and school boards are the only elected entities whose members do not have to report campaign expenses and income.

“This is a step toward progress,” Hammons said. “This is a step toward the change Muskogee needs.”

He said he was voted into office last spring by voters who wanted change.

“This is the change they wanted,” he said.



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