In a special session held on August 23, the New Cordell City Council met to discuss and vote on an ordinance which will change three city positions from elected to appointed. Ultimately, the Council decided to allow registered voters of Cordell to determine whether the resolution will be adopted.
The three offices affected are those of City Clerk, City Treasurer, and City Marshall. The duties and pay of these positions were explained in detail by Mayor Jerry Beech, City Attorney Johnny Beech, and interim City Manager Vicky Hagerman during the meeting.
The City Clerk is responsible for keeping records of Council meetings and maintaining storage of those records as well as participating in meetings by calling roll. The current pay for that position is $120 per month.
According to the Oklahoma Municipal Law handbook, the primary duty of the City Treasurer is to carry deposits to the bank. The City Marshall is responsible for leading parades. There is currently no pay for serving as Treasurer or City Marshall.
Perhaps due to there being little or no pay for these positions there have been many times that no person ran for the office during the election period. In that case the mayor appointed someone and the council voted to approve the candidate for appointment.
Proposed City Ordinance 2022-2 will cut out the election process and send the position straight to appointment, which is where it has usually ended up when someone has vacated a position in the past. A person who is appointed can remain in office indefinitely as long as they fulfill their duties satisfactorily.
The ordinance will be on the ballot in November 2022. Registered voters can choose between keeping the offices as an elected position or allowing the ordinance to take effect and allowing appointment by the mayor.