Casey Bradford answers the Tulsa World Mayor’s Questionnaire

Seven candidates have filed papers to run for mayor, but only five are actively campaigning. The Tulsa World asked each of the five to answer the questions below.

Occupation: Co-owner of Shady Keys Dueling Piano Bar and Graffiti

Education: He served in the US Army

Website: bradfordfortulsamayor.com

What are the three most important things you want to accomplish as mayor?

Over 90% of all businesses in Oklahoma are small businesses. They employ 60% of all Oklahomans. We need to put more emphasis on the majority rather than chasing the golden goose and painting Elon Musk’s face on the Tulsa Driller. Our education is in shambles, the teacher retention rate is appalling, and we need a strong leader to stand up to the system that is currently in place. And when teachers and administrators look over their shoulders, they see that the city supports them in every aspect. Our homeless population is growing and needs to be addressed immediately.

What are the steps you will take to accomplish them?

The city is difficult to navigate and works against small businesses. My administration will be here to listen and create policy that promotes small businesses so the backbone of our economy becomes stronger and more people can follow their dreams. My administration will fight for teachers and a better education for all students. We will create more after school programs and put the same emphasis on arts and education that we put on sports. Regarding the homeless population, we need to go back to square one with our thought process. Each individual experiences life in their own unique way, and a one-size-fits-all program is not the answer.

According to a 2023 study, Tulsa needs 13,000 units of housing of all price points over the next decade, including 4,000 units with pent-up demand. What is your plan to make it easier for developers to meet these needs?

As a small business owner myself, I understand firsthand the hurdles developers face when dealing with issues in the city. The authorization process is a nightmare to navigate and can take months to go through. We would like to incorporate technology into the clearance process, take INCOG (Indian Nations Council of Governments) out of the equation and make the Board of Adjustment a more efficient process. We need to categorize the different types of development and separate commercial from residential on the developer side and create a new hub for non-developer citizens to have faster access to permits.

Tulsa and many service providers have adopted a “housing first” policy regarding homelessness, meaning that the first step is to stabilize a person with shelter and then address their needs to live independently. Do you support this approach?

In Tulsa we continue to see an increase in homelessness; a “housing first” policy does not work. We need a centralized database that all organizations are a part of that continues to monitor homelessness. We need to make sure we are setting individuals up for success before we throw them into a house or apartment alone. We have a plan to establish voluntary group homes around the city that have 24/7 care, community and support so that when the homeless are ready for a home, they have everything they need to succeed .

Tulsa County has people living in places like cars, abandoned buildings or homeless camps. What is your plan to address homelessness?

Homelessness is not as simple as building more houses. We need to develop a system that meets the specific needs of each person. The single mother or father of two who has fallen on hard times should be housed immediately so they can get back on their feet. For our mentally unstable or drug dependent individuals, the answer is not so simple. We need to come up with a system that allows for sustainable treatment, re-evaluation of their situation and treatment, and a methodology to keep them clean and/or with appropriate medication. Only then can we reduce homelessness to a functional zero.

Developing affordable housing — particularly multifamily units, low-income housing and varying levels of shelter — has been a challenge with resistance from neighborhood residents and city councilors currently in office. How would you combat NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard) to ensure all parts of the city are part of the solution?

Not In My Backyard needs to change to Not in My City. We are a community that needs to understand the issues that all large cities face, chief among which is the ever-increasing expense of living in a city that continues to grow. We need to make sure we don’t centrally locate low-income housing and low-barrier shelters in one area. Transportation was a primary reason for supporting one area, but we have a transit system that is severely underutilized, and by spreading these programs across the city we can ensure that everyone gets the same opportunity to thrive and succeed.

If elected, would you continue to support and fund the City Hall for Resilience and Equity, which has worked on strategies for immigrant and refugee inclusion, financial empowerment, justice and wellness, and as a liaison to the LGGTQ+ community?

As with many systems currently in place at the city level, we would like to conduct a comprehensive audit of the resilience and equity program. As programs grow and evolve, they tend not to be as effective as they were when they were originally founded. Before we commit to maintaining such a system, we would like to meet with all the people involved and make sure that our tax dollars are being spent in the best way possible. If we find that this is the case, then the program will continue.

Do you support the continued collection of data on equality indicators?

All information we can obtain to better help us develop policy and understand the needs of the citizens of Tulsa is required. If we put as much emphasis on studying the rest of the city as we do on equity indicator data, we’d better understand why our homeless population is growing, why our roads are in disrepair, and why our education is failing. Not only do we support data collection, we would like to extend it to many different facets of the city.

Would you support and fund Tulsa police detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants, as former President Donald Trump has proposed local law enforcement do if elected president?

“The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable foreigner, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions; whom we shall receive to the participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they shall receive. they seem worth the pleasure” – George Washington.

Under my administration, we will not detain or deport individuals for seeking a brighter future. However, we will detain anyone who poses a threat to or violates the rights of the citizens of this city; and at that time, if they are illegal, they will be deported to their country of origin.

Do you support some sort of independent monitoring of the Tulsa Police Department? If so, what might that program look like?

As a veteran, I understand the problems that arise when politics becomes mission success. TPD should be able to independently monitor its officers and conduct internal investigations through Internal Affairs. Under my administration there will be a link between this city’s policy and TPD so that all officers can file complaints with the city about unfair treatment or discrimination. This will be part of our Open Policy Initiative. This will go beyond just TPD and exist for all city employees as well.

The community engagement report Beyond Apology suggests creating a commission to continue examining possible policies and programs to address the damage caused by the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. Mayor GT Bynum and several aldermen say direct cash payments are not a option, but other possibilities remain. A task force was formed to pave the way for the creation of a commission. As mayor, will you continue this way? What do you think of the Tulsa Race Massacre repairs?

I agree with Mayor Bynum that cash repairs are not an option. The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre was and still is a stain on our city’s history, and we must make sure we learn from the mistakes of the past so we don’t repeat them. As mayor, I would like to not assume that I know what will best help everyone moving forward, but instead will fully support a committee and rely on their guidance and expertise to make the best decision possible for Tulsa residents.

The city government has no direct say in the governance of the public schools. However, do you see the city as having a role to play in improving public schools? If so, how?

When the mayor is elected, our city will adopt a new slogan, “We set the standard for excellence.” Our state is failing our children every day; Tulsa won’t. We will step into the gap, apply for every grant at both the state and federal level, support nonprofits, and put the community on fire to change education for the better. While Oklahoma may be last in education, we will lead Tulsa forward to ensure a brighter future for all of our students. We will also stand with all educators and faculty across the state to change the policies that are leaving our children behind.

The threat of a state takeover continues to loom over Tulsa Public Schools. As mayor, do you support state intervention or maintaining local control?

The state has enough worries. My administration is all about smaller government and direct representation of the people. The more politicians you get involved in a project will mean more wasted money, longer delays and lower results. We need our community to get even more involved in the education of this city, not our state. We need to rely on the experts who currently have their hands tied in the State Legislature and find a solution so we can move TPS in the right direction. We must also ensure that we monitor the expenditure of our education funds so that they are used in the most efficient way possible.

What is your argument for a major employer looking to locate their business in the city?

Tulsa is a proud city, a city still looking to a brighter future. We started as the “Oil Capital of the World”, then took on the name “Aviation Capital of the World” and now we are poised to continue our legacy of leading this nation and the world in many different areas. Many cities live and die by a single enterprise; Tulsa has thrived over the years by being adjustable, adapting and innovating. We have our problems, as do most big cities, but Tulsa residents care enough to make changes when necessary, and we welcome all new businesses to the city that will support our mission to set the standard of excellence.