Latest news with #Feary
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New State Highway 20 opens
The new State Highway 20 opened on Good Friday in Claremore, but City Manager John Feary considered it better than "good." "What a glorious day," Feary said to the crowd of about 100 people who had gathered that afternoon on the new overpass over State Highway 66. They had come to watch the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority cut the ribbon on S.H. 20, opening up a more direct route between Claremore and Owasso than the old alignment granted. ODOT, OTA and local government officials cut a long, green ribbon stamped with "SH-20/Flint Road" around 2:30 p.m.; the first drivers began using the new route about an hour later. "It certainly is a great day today," Feary said. "The city of Claremore has looked forward to an overpass for many, many years, and while it's a little south of town, it will absolve a lot of the issues that we've had. We're very grateful today." Tim Gatz, executive director of ODOT, said that Friday was decades in the making. Gatz said the $64 million project, jointly funded by ODOT and OTA, is an investment in Oklahoma's future. Gatz said the new five-lane stretch of S.H. 20 will keep drivers safer than the two-lane, shoulderless Old Highway 20. "I've been with the Department of Transportation for 35 years," Gatz said. "I have a clear recollection of what Highway 20 was like between Owasso and Claremore a couple of decades ago: the highest fatality corridor in the state. ... We have come a long ways." Gatz said a little construction on the new route still remains; contractors will soon install a black vinyl fence along the bridge over S.H. 66. He said this will require temporary lane closures on the bridge. Big "Route 66" shields emblazon the bridge's sides. District 3 Commissioner Ron Burrows, whose district encompasses the overpass, said he's proud of how the bridge looks. It's a fitting gateway into Claremore, he said. Debbie Long, mayor of Claremore, said new Highway 20 will promote growth in south Claremore by giving drivers easier access. The alignment avoids downtown and ferries drivers directly to S.H. 66 and the Will Rogers Turnpike, via the interchange OTA opened in March. Long said she was glad ODOT has committed to resurfacing parts of Holly Road and Will Rogers and Lynn Riggs boulevards before it hands maintenance responsibilities over these roads back to the city. "Understand that this is our tax dollars at work for the betterment of Claremore," Long said. A couple of curious Rogers County residents came to see the new road open; Shelley Ramsey and her grandson, Hunter, were two of them. Ramsey said she's lived in Claremore since 1984 and has commuted nearly all that time to Ascension St. John Medical Center in Tulsa. Ramsey, who lives in a neighborhood near Walmart, said the Flint Road turnpike exit has cut a few minutes off her commute each day since it opened last month. She also often shops in Owasso and has long used Country Club Road and Old Highway 20 to get there. She expected the new route would shorten that trip by 10 minutes. "I've been watching it come along for years," Ramsey said. "... You always think about all the promises that you think government makes that are empty, but it came. It took a long time, but it came."
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
19-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rogers County roads still slick, snow-covered
As Rogers County experiences its coldest weather yet this winter, roads and streets remain treacherous for drivers. Snow blanketed major intersections Wednesday morning in Claremore, Catoosa, Oologah and other towns around the county following the Tuesday snowfall. The National Weather Service's Tulsa office reported the region will experience life-threatening cold through noon Thursday, with wind chill temperatures below zero. According to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Will Rogers Turnpike remains slick and snowy. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority crews are working on clearing it. "If you don't need to be out on the road, please don't be out on the road," said John Feary, Claremore's city manager, in a Tuesday video. Feary said police, fire, public works, construction and streets crews will work 24/7 in shifts the next few days to treat city streets and respond to emergencies. He said anyone who notices a particularly slick spot in city limits can report it to 918-341-1212, the Claremore Police Department's non-emergency number. Diana Dickinson, spokesperson for Rogers County, said county crews are at work clearing roads, and people should use them for emergencies or urgent needs only. "This allows local, county and state crews to effectively clear and maintain the roads and bridges without the added obstacles of heavy traffic," Dickinson said. "Doing so makes it safe for everyone, makes snow and ice removal more efficient and allows emergency responders to reach their destinations with unimpeded access." She said people can check the Rogers County Facebook page for weather updates. Claremore city and Rogers County offices closed early Tuesday and will remain closed throughout Wednesday. Area school districts likewise called snow days Tuesday and Wednesday. People can use the Drive Oklahoma app or the state's Oklahoma Road Condition Map to survey the status of state highways. Photos from these sources come from cameras affixed to state snow plows. According to AccuWeather, Claremore will experience a high temperature of 30 degrees Friday. The weekend will usher in warmer temperatures — up to 48 degrees Saturday and 61 degrees Sunday.
