Tad Boone: ‘I am running because I see a void in leadership’

Editor's note: Some of these answers have been edited for length. To see the unabridged version, go to www.cordellbeacon.com.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, i.e., age, job, hometown, family, hobbies, etc.?

I'm 47 years old. I was born in Norman. My family moved to Cordell in the late 70s. I attended elementary school here before moving to Elk City. I graduated from Elk City High School. I went on to attend SWOSU where I received my B.S. in Environmental Industrial Technology. Later, I was certified as a Specialist in Safety and Health from the University of Texas at Arlington through their OSHA Outreach Program.

Why are you running for city council? What are things you hope to accomplish if elected?

I am running for council because I see a void in quality leadership from both some of our elected officials and some of our municipal employees. Although some of our elected officials and many of our municipal employees do a fantastic job, I see others as sheep; or, as using their position as a hobby; or, using their position as a bully pulpit; or, using their position to help out a select few of their friends; or, using their position to feed a misguided sense of superiority. I want to fill that void of leadership for the good of the whole community; and, for the good of the service!

Recently the council brought in a retail coach; and, put inserts in our utility bills asking for ideas about retail. I found this almost comical. Why would they spend money on this right after they went on a bully campaign of some of our local retailers.

I have considerable experience that has prepared me to serve as a council member. When I was in High School I worked for a company operating heavy equipment. I built on that experience and, together with my dad, we started a construction company that built roads, highways, bridge approaches, etc. This gave me substantial knowledge of infrastructure.

I was employed by the City of Elk City as the Health & Safety Coordinator. While there I took the time to learn every process. In doing so, I learned all of the everyday workings of a municipality; I was able to identify hazards; and, I was able to reduce the TRIR from 8.9 to 1.9.

What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a city council member?

Skills that will benefit me as a council member include my inquisitive nature. The more a person learns about a situation, the better that person can make an informed decision. My outside-the-box thinking also affords me to see solutions some people overlook. And, my knowledge of networking allows me to reach out to people all over the state for information or assistance.

How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in Cordell?

When it comes to involving residents in the decision-making process, information is a two-way street. Like I mentioned before, the more a person learns about a situation, the better that person can make an informed decision. However, many governments like to throw around the word transparent. To me, that is just acknowledging that they aren't hiding anything from you but, they aren't showing the whole picture either. I prefer the term visible. Let's put the good, the bad, and the ugly on Front Street.

Another tool is the The City's website. But, it needs a major overhaul. It should have a short biography of every elected official and department head, contact information for each of those people, and a link to their email addresses.

A lot of residents are unhappy with the quality of the city’s water. What specific steps can you take as a city council member to help fix that issue?

Before I delve into the issue of water, let's differentiate between quality and safety. Because to a lot of people they mean the same. They don't. Our water is safe to drink. If it wasn't, the DEQ would step in. Anyone can actually check our water testing results by googling "sdwis drinking water branch oklahoma". Once it is found, it can give some interesting information.

For example, why is Cordell buying water out of Foss Lake when we have so many water wells that are inactive. Why are they inactive? Obviously lake water, even after being treated, is going to have more contaminants than most well water. Do these wells need to be re-worked? Has someone caused damage to these inactive wells? What is the price difference between making these wells active and what The City is spending on water from Foss Lake?

A lot of residents also are unhappy with the high price of electricity in Cordell. Yet, every month the council approves a rate increase. What will you do to specifically help fix this issue for residents?

When it comes to utility rates, there is nothing wrong with a municipality making a modest profit. A municipality can't operate on a single revenue stream. Something that is losing money, streets for example, needs to be balanced with something that is making money, electricity for example.

We certainly don't want to cause a hardship for our citizens. And we don't want to ignore the principles of economics.

I don't know the profit margin The City has on electricity but, a rate decrease might actually make more of a profit, if people start coming back to town. Another option is to hedge the electricity rates from the power supplier. Another possibility is put a cap on the amount of profit The City can make off of electricity rates by tying that profit margin to the National Consumer Price Index. A short term fix is to allow for a running average on the utility bills. The last information I had was customers were only able to average a six month block.

What are some of your favorite things about the town?

One of my favorite things about living in Cordell is the small-town charm. Plus, some of the friendliest people in the world live here. Cordell also has a fantastic school system. But what really impresses me about this community is how people support each other.

Why should you be elected to the city council?

I think the people of Cordell will elect me to council because of some of ideas, opinions, and experience I mentioned above.

What else should people know about you or your candidacy?

I would also like the people of Cordell to know that I am an open book. If anyone has any questions at all they should feel free to reach out to me. I might not have all the answers but, I probably have the right questions. My phone number is 580-374-8323. However, anyone who calls will have to leave a message. I don't answer phone numbers that I don't recognize because somebody keeps trying to reach me regarding the extended warranty on my vehicle.