Taylor Made For Tulsa

Last week, in a move that shocked most Tulsa residents, Mayor Kathy Taylor announced she wasn't running for re-election in T-town. I have to admit I was caught off guard as well. Especially as I had attended her campaign kickoff event just four months ago.

Not to offer too strong an opinion, but this is bad news for Tulsa. It could possibly be a return to the days of no momentum and bitter partisanship that gripped the town for almost two decades.

The entire state watched during this period as Oklahoma City moved forward in a progressive manner and did so with bi-partisan if not non-partisan support. In that same time frame Tulsa literally began to fall apart. Good ideas were shot down for entirely personal and partisan reasons and the whole community suffered.

Mayor Taylor said last week she was dropping out of the race for just this reason, to take politics off the table. I'm not certain if her lack of candidacy will help or not. There are some in Tulsa who just don't want to play nice in the sand box and it prevents progress from occurring.

At least the Mayor will have some bold accomplishments of which she can be proud. The city streets program and the remarkable BOK center are just a couple that come to mind.

It is a shame that Tulsans will lose this gifted public servant who honestly ran for all the right reasons. Maybe a loss for all Oklahomans too.