She said her experience in guiding Norman through the COVID pandemic and directing funding from federal sources, like the CARES Act and federal grants, will also be vital as Norman looks to emerge from the pandemic. Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, The election results listed online are unofficial until they are certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board. Low near 40F. Liberal Oklahoma Mayor Faces Recall Posted August 16th, 2020 by Iron Mike Unite Norman just turned in 20,560 signaturesin their attempt to force a recall election of their new mayor - Breea Clark. Hickman views it as a way to balance the budget while Clark acknowledged TIFs as a valid economic tool, but that Norman residents wanted it removed. She saidRiverwind Casino,owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation, is the reason homelessness is on the rise in Norman. Norman, OK 73070. Mayor Clark's police budget-cutting seemed to many as a ME-TOO reaction to the groundswell of DEFUND movements following the death of George Floyd. Experience: Before her election. Breea Clark, the incumbent, had been mayor since 2019. I believe its a citizen-based solution to a city-wide problem.. news. She also previously served as interim Pre-Law Club Advisor and was a member of the 2018-2019 OU Leadership Council class. Breea Clark is originally from Wichita, Kansas, where she graduated with her B.A. Office: Mayor (Norman, OK) Track This Politician . Dunn advocated for a Ward-by-Ward, door-by-door approach to inform people of oils value. journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. Norman resident and lifelong Republican John Trice, 68, said he envisionsthe political winds shifting this election cycle. With Mayor Lynne Miller not seeking re-election, two city council members and a community activist seek to fill her spot. Mayor Heikkila earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. She currently serves as Vice President of the Mayors Council of the Oklahoma Municipal League and on the Board of Directors for both the Oklahoma Municipal League and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments. In April, Norman will vote for a second time on a stormwater utility bond to address flooding and pollution problems. Earlier in the pandemic, some Norman residents criticized Clark for requiring some businesses to close and imposing capacity limits on businesses and public gatherings to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Stephenson-Leuck, 67, said she jumpedinto the mayoralrace due to thepolice budget cut in 2020. She serves on Normans ABLE Board, and continues to champion opportunities for the disabled. [1] Recall organizers submitted enough signatures to put the recall election against Councilwoman Petrone on the ballot. Breea Clark is originally from Wichita, Kansas, where she graduated with her B.A. Heikkila is a 26-year Navy veteran. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Mayor Breea Clark pursues second term, prioritizes homelessness, stormwater, encouraging voter participation, The Wichita, Kansas natives Norman ties began in 2005, when she moved to Oklahoma to attend the OU College of Law after receiving a bachelors degree in political science at Wichita State University. Clark faced notable backlash after the Norman City Council voted to, reduce a proposed Norman Police Department budget increase by $865,000. [1] On April 5, 2022, Larry Heikkila won the runoff election and became mayor of Norman, Oklahoma. I give this to God.. 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She cited Norman's low unemployment rate and record sales tax revenue as signsthe city's economy is strong. (The office) came at great personal cost to me, Clark told The Daily. Post Office Box 370 Norman, OK 73070. It was an election both candidates fought on battleground issues facing Norman, from increasing police funding to boost staff levels to economic development and quality of life projects to retain families and attract tourism to the city. Dunn stressed oils importance and called several times for residents and businesses to use less of it. Previously, he served the citizens of Norman with seventeen years of service as an employee of the City of Norman. The vote occurred in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May 2020. This is a really important election for Norman, Hickman said, adding that the new mayor will appoint a new city manager and a new city attorney and that he has the necessary experience to do so. Saying she couldnt previously support the status quo of policing in Norman, Clark defended her vote nearly two years ago to cut $865,000, or 3.6%, from thedepartments proposed budget request that sought a funding increase. Im thankful for Maricha and my family, as well as the many friends and volunteers who have supported me.. online throughout the pandemic. There was a problem saving your notification. Votes . Heikkila,70, is retired after serving 26 years in the U.S. Navy and working for the city for 17 years, ending his career as a safety manager who ensuredmunicipal departments hadsafe workplaces. I dont make partisan decisions, because partisan politics dont fill potholes. Clark said the main separation between her and Hickman was leadership style. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma's law school anddirector of OU'sJ.C. Penney Leadership Center, Clark decided to run for reelection because she believes she's the best person to continue guiding Norman through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. e-mail: mayor@NormanOK.gov, Vital Information: Clark received 4.45% more of the votes than Heikkila in the primary. Address: 307 W. Brooks Mayor Breea Clark will face Larry Heikkila in a runoff after neither candidate captured a majority of the vote Tuesday, preliminary election results indicated. Low near 40F. Asked his priority now that he is elected, Ruggiers said he wants to ensure families trust the district. I thanked him for a clean race and spoke to him about how we can work together for a round two, she said. By July 2020, the group attempted to trigger a recall election. E-mail: breea@ou.edu. Here's how they could affect voters in future elections. on the 2021 Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index a measure of how supportive municipal governments are of their 2SLGBTQ+ residents as a notable accomplishment of her term. Clark also thanked her volunteers, her campaign workers and her family for their support. The City Charter dictates that if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, candidates who receive the most votes will face an April runoff. Bill Hickman, the current Norman Ward 4 council member, works as an attorney and small-business owner. In the race are incumbent Breea Clark, Bob Thompson, Dr. Nicole Kish, Larry Heikilla and Alice Stephenson-Leuck. Eventually, her supporters in city government and the community at-large led her to reconsider. or anything. Norman residentCasey Holcombrecently filed a lawsuit against Hickman on the grounds of free speech violations. Weve never addressed this, ever. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Heikkila received more than 53% of votes, with . She earned a Juris Doctorate in 2008, and became director of OUs JCPenney Leadership Program in 2018. Heikkila received 53.39% of the votes, beating incumbent Breea Clark. She earned a Juris Doctorate in 2008, and became director of, After beginning her stint in local government as Normans Ward 6 city council member in 2016, Clark, defeated opponents Bill Hickman and Evan Dunn. I am grateful and humbled for the votes I received in Norman, Kish said in a prepared statement. One group, Unite Norman, attempted to recall Clark later that year, falling short of the required number of signatures required to trigger a recall election. Clark and Hickman were united on the removal of the University North Park TIF. Mayoral and city council elections will take place Tuesday, Feb. 8. Three years ago, the police union endorsed Clark, but the group rescinded its endorsement after the 2020 vote on the police budget that led the Norman Police Department to eliminate nine unfilled officer positions. Breea Clark, the current Norman Ward 6 council member, works as the director of the J.C. Penney Leadership Program at the University of Oklahoma's Michael F. Price College of Business. Breea is registered to vote in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. (NonDoc) Support Journalism In the culmination of two years worth of debate over city leadership, Larry. Breea Diane Clark (age 39) is listed at 718 E Johnson St Norman, Ok 73071 and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. I tend to be right about in the middle. While the decision still resulted in an overall budget increase for NPD, the meeting encouraged the formation of Unite Norman. There has been a little bit of mistrust that has built up over the last couple of years.. "Because of Mayor Clark, I bet youre going to see the pendulum swinging conservative.". I will do everything I can in power to support mayor-elect Heikkila, she said to a crowd of supporters. Kishhas litigation pending against several people she says made false statements about her that led her to endure death threats andlose clients and business income. City of Norman, 201 W Gray St,Norman, OK 73069, Information on City Council and Committee Meetings. Clark highlighted Normans perfect score on the 2021 Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index a measure of how supportive municipal governments are of their 2SLGBTQ+ residents as a notable accomplishment of her term. Citizen efforts to force a recall election of Norman Mayor Breea Clark have fallen short, yet the recall effort also showed broad public displeasure with Clark's performance. Former Mayor Breea Clark The fire department is down 8 or 9 percent, and police is down about 7 percent. [1] On April 5, 2022, Larry Heikkila won the runoff election and became mayor of Norman, Oklahoma. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a27ac526b8852e3 Its hard to focus on my professional career when the City of Norman requires so much attention. Mayor Heikkila and his wife have two adult children. "We had stumbled into this real combative scenario here in town," he said. We believe The Norman voters selected him to lead a transformation of our community. Norman Mayor Breea Clark looks up her election numbers during her watch party, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at Blackbird Gastropub. Clark said she had not heard from other candidates, but was working to contact them. For accessibility assistance please contact the ADA Technician at 405-366-5424. In the end, Clark survived the recall effort but could not prevail against Heikkila. Member of the Oklahoma Bar Association; Oklahoma Bar Foundation; member of the Family Law Section; member of the OBA Law Schools Committee; member of the OBA Legislative Monitoring Committee, Emergency Authorization of Medical Treatment, Family Law, Criminal Law & Other Cases Involving Mental Health Issues. On Tuesday, the total ballooned to more than 24,000. However, there is no clear answer about her affiliation. For more information on where, when and how to vote, visit the, Support independent journalism serving OU. During his service, he served four years in the Submarine Force, and twenty two years as a US Navy Seabee. But, we are the county seat and it doesnt need to just be Normans problem, because its a countywide problem, its a nationwide problem. In the Norman community, she served on the Norman City Council from 2016-2019 representing Ward 6 in NE Norman and currently serves as its first Millennial Mayor. City officials have also consulted with Griffin Memorial Hospital which sits on state-owned land under the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services about constructing multifamily affordable housing. Around the world, communities are grappling with what Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. But initially, as they are right now, I dont think theyre equitable, I dont think they summon or motivate our residents to change the way that their homescapes are designed so that stormwater isnt the problem.. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. While some of us had different opinions of what means, I thank all of the candidates for their dedication and their love for the City of Norman," he said. She represented her city in the 4th class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership initiative and is currently a fellow in the VV Engage Global Fellowship with Vital Voices. After beginning her stint in local government as Normans Ward 6 city council member in 2016, Clark defeated opponents Bill Hickman and Evan Dunn in the 2019 mayoral election with 51.43 percent of the vote. While on council, Thompson supported the city's first public safety sales tax that funded additional police officers. Helen Grant won the Norman City Council Ward 4 seat Tuesday, defeating opponent Gale Hobson. The second attempt had more support than the first, so Im hopeful we can get it across the finish line. As mayor, he said he would deliver on projects people had voted for. Weve had issues with deciding is it a flat fee, is it based on water usage, is it based on impervious surface, Clark said. Grant, who works at Oscillator Press in Norman and serves on several municipal committees, ran on a platform of bridging the divide between Normans urban core and its outlying areas. . Larry Heikkila was elected as the 61st mayor of Norman in 2022. Sworn In: 07/05/22 He moved to Norman in 1978 and was a longtime City of Norman employee who now sits on several Cleveland County citizen boards. She also supported the city council ordinance requiring masks in public. Clark said she stands by her handling of the pandemic that earned her recognition from the Oklahoma State Medical Association. Clark and Hickman feel the same about many Norman issues and both have city council member experience. Its all around our city, Clark said. Reach her atmwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420. By July 2020, the group attempted to trigger a recall election for Clark and several Norman city council members. [2] General Results [ edit] Each petition failed to gather enough signatures, Members of a Facebook group opposing Normans COVID response, Clark said she was continually targeted and harassed. Heikkila was endorsed by Cleveland County Commissioners Darry Stacy and Harold Haralson, the local fraternal order of police and the firefighters union, among others. Breea Clark is the 60th Mayor for the City of Norman. Updated Apr 5, 2022 Mayor Breea Clark continues to deliver her concession speech, saying "she hopes Norman holds Larry Heikkila to the same high standards that she was held to" while in. First off, the defunding of the police department, they managed to truly deflate our wonderful police department that used to be a premier agency in Oklahoma, Heikkila said last month. First. Thompson said he jumped into the mayoral race because he figured the only way to stop the political divisiveness inNorman was a change in leadership. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Part of that solution should involve more collaboration between rural and urban Normanites, she added. Affordable housing doesn't just affect the homeless, it affects people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, Clark said. Don't Threaten. . He also voiced support for no-tax transportation bonds that would allow Norman to build a new traffic management center. I think accountability is always good, and voter education. Clark said the election was not about her nor was it about her opponent it was about improving Norman. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Personal keyboard_arrow_down. The City has deviated tremendously from the mission of a municipal government, and has begun focusing its efforts on small segments of the population," he said in a news release. At a mayoral forum held by the Norman chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police last month, the candidatesvowed toprioritizepublic safety funding after the Norman City Council, including Clark, in 2020 approved a cut to the proposed police budget an issue that has embroiled the city ever since. Mostly we just need to assure the public that they can trust Norman Public Schools. She teaches several undergraduate courses, including. Larry Heikkila defeated incumbent Norman Mayor Breea Clark on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Phone: 405-366-5402 "We're still in the middle of this crisis,and there's no one better equipped to keep us going forward in our recovery,with an optimistic view to the future," Clark said. ", What happened in June 2020 was hours of listening to residents saying that the current system is not working for them, and if your policing is not working for everybody in your community, then you have to change, Clark said. Ultimately, despite what many have characterized as a year of polarizing local politics, Clark said she is grateful more Normanites have been interested in local participation. Snell had served on the school board for more than two decades. Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. Clark graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005 and then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2008. 210.65.88.143 news. Cockfighting fight turns back time at Oklahoma Capitol, The awkward family affair of Gov. I am not in favor of the school bond, Im not in favor of any of the transportation bonds. Share Background Report Overview of Breea Diane Clark Lives in: Norman, Oklahoma Phone: View phone number Age: 39 Breea Clark's Voter Registration On campus, she has served on the Universitys Legal Panel, Speakers Bureau and as an interim Pre-Law Club Advisor. "Therivalry that isset up between the mayor and Unite Norman just looked like there was no end to it.". Her campaign for a second term, she said, is focused less on restating commitments made in her first three years and more on goals she will pursue, if reelected. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. that is degrading to another person. You have permission to edit this article. Law School:University of Oklahoma College of Law, J.D., 2008. I love Norman, Hickman said. In addition he holds many technical certifications in Disaster Relief Operations, Occupational Safety, and Construction. Mayor | City of Norman, OK Information on City Council and Committee Meetings City of Norman, OK Building an Inclusive Community Mayor How Do I? At OKC, a record high temperature of 83 degrees occurred mid-day, then plummeted to a record low of 17 degrees at midnight. Her challengers in the nonpartisan race are Nicole Kish, Larry Heikkila, A.E. Mayor Heikkila is a pro-business, pro-growth, avid supporter of Normans Police and Fire Departments. Clark was elected mayor in a three-way contestin 2019after serving on the city council for three years. University of Oklahoma College of Law, J.D., 2008. The number of citizens who supported Clark's ouster was 153-percent greater than the number of citizens who voted to elect Clark mayor in 2019. faculty, staff and alumni on campus and around the world for more than 100 years? He won over incumbent Mayor Breea Clark. Thats not who we are. Mailing Address: P.O. Low near 40F. Both Kish and Heikkila have said they want to increase the number of police officers and boost pay across public safety departments. As the current Director of the JCPenney Leadership Center, she advises the JCPenney Leadership Program and teaches leadership courses and Passport to Success workshops. Phone:(405) 325-2501 Clark had planned to make this her final term as mayor. The Wichita, Kansas natives Norman ties began in 2005, when she moved to Oklahoma to attend the OU College of Law after receiving a bachelors degree in political science at Wichita State University.
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