Latest news with #ClaremoreCityCouncil
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sales tax increase kicks in July 1; council incumbents keep seats
Claremore's sales tax rate will rise from 3% to 4% July 1. The city asked voters on the April 1 ballot whether to add a penny to Claremore sales tax. About 64% of voters said yes. Combined with the state (4.5%) and county (1.5%) sales tax rates, shoppers will pay a 10% sales tax in Claremore city limits. People will pay an extra $1 for every $100 they spend. Starting next fiscal year, the city will reap an additional $6 million in sales tax annually. Claremore collected $15.5 million in sales tax in Fiscal Year 2024. Unlike the three restricted pennies that make up Claremore's current sales tax collection, the city can use the newly approved penny how it likes. City Manager John Feary said the city will primarily use the new tax revenue to fund infrastructure. "Thank you, Claremore, for believing in our future and committing to a stronger, more sustainable community," Feary said. "Your support drives us forward." The Claremore Area Chamber of Commerce had urged its members to vote for the sales tax increase. Spokesperson Ashley May said the chamber is glad voters approved it. "This tax increase will have a big, positive impact on our local businesses and will help improve the city's infrastructure and amenities for both residents and visitors," May said. The city billed its sales tax campaign "A Penny for Progress." At Chamber luncheons and a series of March town hall meetings, Feary told attendees Claremore's future — particularly its infrastructure — would hinge on boosting the sales tax rate. The city has $387 million worth of unmet infrastructure needs on top of its $67 million five-year plan, he said. These range from maintenance of Claremore's aging roads and sewers to improvements to Claremore's electric infrastructure. Opponents of the sales tax measure said they couldn't afford a sales tax hike and argued the city should spend what it has more responsibly. Feary said during his campaign the city would have no other way to raise the money it needs to maintain its infrastructure and keep its savings stocked. Many supporters said they preferred raising sales tax to raising utility rates because it would burden individuals less. "One of the key benefits of this tax is that it spreads the cost of supporting the city across everyone who shops, dines, or enjoys activities in Claremore, not just the residents," May said. "Given that tourism is a major industry here, this is a great opportunity for our city." Julie Dermody, secretary of the Rogers County Election Board, said 12% of city voters turned out for the April 1 election. There were 1,425 votes cast on the sales tax question; 1,495 people voted on Claremore's unsuccessful April 2023 sales tax proposition. Claremore City Council Melissa Cottom (Ward 1) and Brian Callender (Ward 2) won re-election to Claremore City Council. Jonathan Bruckerhoff picked up the vacant Ward 3 seat. The vote totals were as follows: Ward I: — Melissa Cottom (incumbent): 798 votes, 64.8% — Kristi Saul: 433 votes, 35.2% Ward II (2-year): — Brian Callender (incumbent): 710 votes, 58% — Michael Barone: 515 votes, 42% Ward II (4-year): — Justin Michael (incumbent, winner by acclamation) Ward III: — Jonathan Bruckerhoff: 657 votes, 54% — Mark Peek: 559 votes, 46% Ward IV: — Lindsey Erwin (incumbent, winner by acclamation) Callender, who supported Claremore's sales tax increase, said April 1 was a great day all around for Claremore, and he was happy people voted for the city's future. Barone, his opponent, said the "good old boys'" club won. He was upset Claremore Mayor Debbie Long had advocated for Callender and other candidates on her personal Facebook account — she has a separate mayoral page. Bruckerhoff — whom Long and other sitting council members also supported — said he was thankful to be part of the city's improvement process. He thanked his opponent, Peek, for a friendly campaign. Peek said running for city council was educational and showed him the dedication of Claremore's leadership. "There is more to do, but they are working within their ability to do so," Peek said. "The tax increase should give them more funds to make this happen. Claremore is a great place to live."
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Longtime Ward 2 council member faces Republican opponent
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of three stories about the candidates running for Claremore City Council. The story about the Ward 1 candidates ran in the Tuesday, March 25 edition. A sidebar to this story appears inside today's edition. Incumbent Brian Callender and challenger Michael Barone are the candidates running for the two-year Ward 2 seat on Claremore City Council. Callender, first appointed to the council in 2013, works in sales for Advanced EMC Technologies in Broken Arrow and ran HeatWave Tanning in Claremore for two decades. Barone moved to Claremore five years ago and operates forklifts in the Tulsa warehouse of LDF, a beverage distributor. Claremore council members represent a particular ward, but all registered voters in city limits get a say on who fills each contested seat. Early voting will take place 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 27-28 at the Rogers County Election Board office, 415 W. First St. in Claremore. Election Day is April 1. Brian Callender Callender has represented Ward 2 on City Council since 2013. That year, council member Thomas Cypert resigned, and Callender interviewed for the job to take his seat and secured it. He held his seat each election cycle until 2023, when Emily Chester received the most votes — but Chester hadn't realized she didn't meet the residency requirement. The council then appointed Callender to serve until at least 2025. Callender said his wife, Bridget, spurred him to apply for the vacant seat in 2013. He said he used to complain about how city government was being run, and his wife said if he wanted things to change, he should do it himself. "I've learned a lot in the last 12 years," Callender said. "... I'm very passionate about it. Things have gone so well. We've built such a good relationship with the citizens, especially since [City Manager John Feary has] been here." Before Feary was Jim Thomas, who Callender said set the city up well financially but was domineering and unlikable. Feary has been a breath of fresh air, Callender said, and he said city residents seem happier about the city's direction with Feary at the helm. He said it is paramount people to vote to add a penny to the city's 3% sales tax because it would allow the city to continue infrastructure projects like the $28 million water quality improvements at the water treatment plant. "I don't want to pay more taxes, either, but I like where I live, and I want it to be better," Callender said. "That's really the only way we can do it." If passed, the sales tax increase would generate an additional $6 million annually. Callender said the city badly needs this money to set itself up for the future. He said a higher sales tax rate would also let the city leverage larger projects. "We need that penny sales tax, man, we really do," Callender said. "It may not come in handy real soon, but it's for the future. We have to have it eventually." Callender said his sales work makes him adept at helping people solve their problems. He said constituents can reach out to him via email at briancallender87@ He said his proudest moment aiding a constituent was four years ago or so, when he helped a Claremore resident get a refund on an excessive water bill. She said the city had overcharged her nursing home $60,000 because it was billing her for high-pressure usage instead of low-pressure. "I made John [Feary] take her a check," Callender said. "... She was so tickled. She was about in tears. She goes, 'I've been fighting with these people, telling them this isn't right.'" Callender said Barone has radical ideas and doesn't think he'd do a better job serving the city than he does. "It's important to me that we have someone that actually knows and actually cares about this position," Callender said. Michael Barone Oklahoma municipal elections are officially nonpartisan; Barone said he's a fiscally conservative Republican. He said he's supported President Donald Trump since his first campaign, put on Trump rallies last summer with the Rogers County Republican Party, and is vying to represent Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District in the state party. Barone comes to Claremore out of the West. He's originally from Lancaster, California, then Las Vegas. Barone and much of his family settled in Oklahoma in 2020. His father, Vic, is treasurer of the Rogers County GOP. Barone also belongs to the John Birch Society and the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association. "To me, the Constitution lets every state do what you want to do, and it's not for the top-down to be telling people ... what you're going to do," Barone said. "... Don't spend, cut taxes, give us more money." He said if elected to the council, he'd look for places to reduce city spending. Barone said he hasn't decided how he'll vote on the city's bid to add a penny of sales tax. He questioned why the city wants more money after raising City Manager John Feary's salary by $5,000 last July and cutting former City Manager Jim Thomas a $173,000 severance check after his 2020 resignation. "To me, we shouldn't give any raise until we are not in debt and our infrastructure is good," Barone said. Oklahomans don't spend much, Barone said, and he said to generate more tax revenue, the city should attract more manufacturers and small business owners. He said Claremore treats its people like an endless source of revenue. Barone attended one of Feary's March town halls. He said he liked the idea of spreading the cost of the penny among all the people who shop in Claremore, though it felt like a threat to suggest raising utility rates. "I've warmed up to it," Barone said. "... I'm not gonna tell people what to think, you know? I mean, that's up to every individual to do it themselves." If elected, Barone said he would like to hold his own town halls and record videos for constituents about his work on the council, like Feary does. He said sitting council members don't put themselves in front of their constituents enough; he said Callender is too quiet and doesn't speak up at meetings. Barone's Facebook profile brands him "a voice for the people," and he said he can speak particularly for working-class people like himself. "People need to get engaged more all over the country, you know – state, local," Barone said. "... It's just fresh ideas. Usually, most people don't run that are probably in my situation, you know, like lower-middle class."
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Quality assurance inspector, retired engineer run for open Ward 3 seat
Editor's note: This is the third in a series of three stories about the candidates running for Claremore City Council. The story about the Ward 1 candidates ran in the Tuesday, March 25 edition. Voters will decide April 1 between Jonathan Bruckerhoff and Mark Peek to represent Ward 3 on Claremore City Council. Jonathan Eslick, who has occupied the seat since 2021, is not running for reelection. Bruckerhoff, born and raised in Claremore, works as a quality inspector for local aerospace company MST Manufacturing. Peek retired from his career as an electrical engineer three years ago and moved to Claremore with his family from Bolingbrook, Illinois. Claremore City Council members represent a particular ward, but all registered voters in city limits get a say on who fills each contested seat. Early voting will take place 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 27-28 at the Rogers County Election Board office, 415 W. First St. in Claremore. Election Day is April 1. Jonathan Bruckerhoff Bruckerhoff ran for city council once before — in 2003, when he was 20 years old and fostering an interest in local government. He lost, which he said wasn't a surprise, because he hardly campaigned and his opponent was the incumbent deputy mayor. Twenty-three years later, Bruckerhoff has four children, and he said he's running again because he wants to be involved in decisions that will affect his family's future. "I don't want it to be a community like some of the other ones around where you're born here, and then you graduate and you go off and you live your life somewhere else," Bruckerhoff said. "I want it to be a place that's open and welcome to everybody in all phases of life ... where you can find a good, solid-paying job, where you can raise a family. I want to be part of that decision-making." Bruckerhoff said Claremore is already a great place to start a career and raise a family. He said he has no gripes with how city government is run, and he commended the local schools, Rogers State University and the rise of career opportunities at the Claremore Industrial Park. MST Manufacturing, Bruckerhoff's employer, holds court in the Claremore Industrial Park. Bruckerhoff said his career as a quality assurance inspector makes him skilled at working with the public because he deals with customers every day, and it has honed his shrewd attention to detail. "Let's say there's an idea proposed, and it's handed to me," Bruckerhoff said. "I'm not gonna glance it over. I'm gonna read it, I'm gonna see what's in it. I'm not a big government guy. ... It needs to be effective and efficient, and I think we spend the taxpayers' money wisely when we are careful with how we do it." Bruckerhoff said he's not sure how he'll vote on the sales tax question. He said he generally opposes increasing taxes, and small businesses could suffer in the short run if sales tax increases and people choose to shop elsewhere. But he said in the long run, more sales tax would allow the city to fund more infrastructure improvements. If the increase does pass, Bruckerhoff said he'd want to see the extra revenue primarily fund infrastructure. He said Claremore's roads and streets need major improvements. Bruckerhoff maintains a Facebook campaign page; if elected, he said, it would become a page where constituents can reach out to him directly. "Something like that, that'll allow transparency and hold me accountable," Bruckerhoff said. He said people should vote for him if they want a council member who supports growing Claremore in a way that carries on its traditions. "As a people, we need to be ready to plant trees whose shade we won't live under," Bruckerhoff said. "... I may not reap the benefits of decisions I may be involved in, but knowing my kids will, my grandkids will, other neighbors and people that I've known around Claremore — that's enough for me." Mark Peek Peek is a recent Claremore transplant. His wife has family in Broken Arrow, and when he retired three years ago, the Peeks moved to Claremore to be closer to them. He said he is running for council so he can serve the community where he's chosen to settle. "I was very involved in things when I lived in the Chicago area in the church community," Peek said. "I actually tried to get involved here in the Red Cross, and that didn't quite work out. ... I looked at this as a different opportunity for me to get involved." Peek said he served on the parish council of his church in Illinois; this gave him experience fundraising and setting budgets. Peek spent much of his career as an electrical engineer for a telephone equipment company in Chicago. He said in this role, he managed a $5 million budget and helped identify areas where the company could cut spending to save money. If elected, Peek said he would want to take a close look at Claremore's city budget to make sure the city is spending responsibly. "I think we need to be very analytical in looking at what we do have and where we are spending it, and making sure we don't have duplication or we're not overstaffed or understaffed," Peek said. Peek said the city was responsible to have saved up enough money to fund its tornado response, but taxes may not be the best way to replenish the reserves. He said he is leaning toward voting against raising Claremore's city sales tax. Peek said it's not an easy "no" — inflation is hitting the city just as hard as it's hitting taxpayers, he said — but many of the residents he speaks to oppose the measure. Peek said the city needs to do a better job communicating to the public how it spends its money. He said he'd like to see the city hold town halls quarterly and show people their tax dollars translate to effective outcomes. "I think that the answer isn't just throwing some tar into a pothole," Peek said. "I drove down Muskogee [Avenue] and I was disappointed to see them throwing tar in a pothole. ... Whatever we're going to spend our money on can't be temporary. To me, quality of our decisions is equally as important as quantity of our decisions." Peek is an avid motorcyclist. He said he's ridden his motorcycle in every state but Hawaii, even Alaska. He, his wife and his dog, Jack Daniels, drove through British Columbia to reach the small town of Hyder in the state's southern panhandle. Peek said he's registered and voted every place he's lived, and people in Claremore should do the same. "This tax increase, whether you like it or hate it, or whatever, we all have to voice our opinions," Peek said. "... It's always important."
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Register to vote by Friday to take part in April 1 election
People must register to vote by Friday to cast a ballot in the April 1 municipal elections. Julie Dermody, Rogers County's election secretary, said to vote in Oklahoma, a person must be: — A citizen of the United States — A resident of Oklahoma with a valid driver's license or state identification card — At least 18 years old All prospective voters must complete an Oklahoma Voter Registration Application. Dermody said people can obtain a form in person at the Rogers County Election Board office, 415 W. First St. in Claremore. Most post offices, libraries and tag agencies can supply this form as well. Dermody said people can also obtain the form online using the OK Voter Portal's registration wizard. She said this method requires a person to already have a signature on file with Service Oklahoma. The form is also available on the Rogers County Election Board's website. Dermody said the form must be postmarked by midnight March 7 — this guarantees the state will have ample time to process and accept it in time for Election Day. "Applications postmarked after that time still will be accepted and processed; however, the applications will not be approved until after April 1," Dermody said. If a person submits a voter registration application and does not hear back within 30 days, they should contact the Rogers County Election Board, Dermody said. Its phone number is 918-341-2965. Claremore residents will choose who will occupy five seats on the Claremore City Council and decide whether to approve a one-penny sales tax increase. Municipal and school board races are on the ballot across Rogers County. Early voting runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 27 and 28 at the Rogers County Election Board office. Regular voting starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. at regular polling places.
