As a candidate for Bartlesville City Council, Ward 3, I would like to take a moment of your time to introduce myself and ask for your support.

My name is Michael Schrader. I am 44 years old and a happily married father and stepfather of nine. I have been a Civil and Traffic Engineer for the past twenty years, both in the public and private sectors. Currently, I work as a traffic engineer with the City of Tulsa Public Works Department responding to citizen traffic concerns regarding neighborhood traffic issues, signage, striping, and guardrail. In addition to working for the City of Tulsa, I keep my civil engineering skills sharp by doing expert witness work, structural designs, and other small engineering projects. In addition to my engineering expertise, I attended law school for approximately a year-and-a-half, have 18 hours of graduate school in history, have written an opinion column since 1994, and have dabbled in politics and the political process on occasion. Throughout my life I have had some very interesting and diverse jobs, including time as a journalist, radio personality, surveyor, substitute teacher, barricade laborer, motel desk clerk, construction inspector, and tutor. In short, I have a wide variety of life experiences which I believe gives me the unique ability to understand many different points-of-view and makes me the BEST candidate for Bartlesville City Council, Ward 3.

What does a City Councilperson do? A City Councilperson is one member of the five-member City Council, the legislative body for the city. Each City Councilperson is elected from a unique geographic area, called a district or a ward. The Bartlesville City Council is unique in that it does not have a mayor or any member voted from the community as a whole; rather the mayor is a member of the council elected by the council to function as the official representative of the city. One way to view the Bartlesville council is that it is analogous to the British Parliamentary system where the Prime Minister is actually a member of Parliament and selected by a majority of the members of Parliament. Assisting the council in the day-to-day operations of the city is the City Manager, who serves at the pleasure of the council. Unlike the state and federal governments, where the executive branch is completely separate from the legislative branch and therefore immune from the parochial whims of the individual legislators, in Bartlesville the executive works for the legislature, i.e. the City Council. While under a council-manager system it is hoped that the manager functions above the political whims of the council, in actuality many managers are not willing to exercise the necessary independence from the politics for fear of angering the council that they work for and losing their jobs.

The City Council is responsible for passing rules, regulations, and ordinances that regulate the activities and conduct of citizens and property owners within the city limits, and through the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, those outside the city limits as well. The City Council has the power to regulate buildings, land uses, activities, such as prohibiting the use of skateboards, inline skates, and scooters downtown, utility fees, infrastructure use – in other words, the City Council and the laws it makes do impact, directly or indirectly, our daily lives. More so than the county, state, and federal government, the City Council has the most influence on our quality-of-life, for better or for worse. A good City Council can improve the quality of life for all, while a bad City Council can worsen the quality of life. A good City Councilperson, then, is one who understands and appreciates the trust being placed in him or her by the citizens to improve the quality of life. It is a serious, and humbling, responsibility.

What is my philosophy? My philosophy is a "small government" philosophy. Government should perform only those functions that private citizens cannot reasonably perform by themselves – public safety, public works, and public utilities. The government should never be an advocate for one citizen over another, and should only intervene when necessary to ensure that all citizens are treated equally. I believe that ALL citizens should be empowered with the freedom of choice, and that choices, including the choice of what type of government, should not be encumbered by the government. In addition, I believe that taxes and unnecessary rules and regulations restrict the freedom of choice. I believe that by eliminating the burden of unnecessary taxes and rules and regulations, Americans are economically empowered to "pursue happiness." I believe that my philosophy is what is needed to promote growth and secure the future economic viability of Bartlesville.

Why am I the best candidate for Bartlesville City Council, Ward 3? First, as someone who has worked in the government sector most of his adult life, I know how government operates, what government can and cannot do, and through my more than twenty years of networking, where to go to find solutions. Second, as a civil engineer, I know about roads, buildings, and infrastructure. With this knowledge, I can assess our infrastructure needs without being led to a predetermined conclusion. While some recent infrastructure improvements may sound like good ideas, are they really the best use of public monies, and more importantly, will the perform as promised? Bartlesville needs a City Councilperson with the expertise and knowledge to answer these questions. As public monies are limited, it is imperative that we spend these monies wisely and prudently. Third, I hate paying taxes. Taxes are a necessary evil, but I don't want to pay one cent more in taxes than I have to. There is nothing more frustrating as a taxpayer than to see the government waste my taxes and then reach into my pocket for more. Unfortunately, most people don't realize how much money is being wasted. For example, when the government gives tax rebates to businesses, what it is actually doing is giving YOUR money to someone else. As someone who has worked for the government, I know where the waste is and how it can be reduced. Fourth, as a former planner and economic development director, I have expertise in planning, zoning, and land use, understand what entices businesses to locate where they do, and will use that experience and understanding to work towards improving the economic life of Bartlesville. Finally, as a father and stepfather of eight children under the age of 18, I want to see Bartlesville thrive so that my children will be able to stay in Bartlesville, and not be forced to seek opportunities elsewhere due to the lack of opportunities here. The children are the future of the county, and I will work hard to ensure that their future is in Bartlesville.

I hope that you will find my site to be informative, and will illustrate what I will do as your City Councilperson. If you agree with these ideals, then I hope I can count on your vote. If you would like to help promote these ideals through my campaign, please tell your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. If you would like a sign at your home, or would like to help with the campaign, you may contact me at the above address or by clicking here.

Michael Schrader

Candidate for Bartlesville City Council, Ward 3

Five pledges of Michael Schrader --

If elected, I will strive to make Bartlesville more ACCESSIBLE

Accessible for citizens utilizing City services. Citizens should not have to spend hours upon hours figuring out who to call to get a problem addressed, be it reporting a road hazard, having a utility bill question, or retrieving a public record. Furthermore, city officials should be prompt and courteous when interacting with the public, and should make every effort to answer each and every question or concern. A citizen should not be dumped to voice-mail purgatory, never to have his or her concern see the light of day.

Accessible for businesses. Currently, Bartlesville has a reputation as business unfriendly, unless you are a business owner that is connected with a selected few. Never again should a business appear before the City Council and be publicly accused of “double dipping” and other nefarious deeds. We should not expect existing businesses to play by one set of rules, and then change the rules for the benefit of competing businesses. All businesses and potential businesses should know exactly what is required, and should not be subject to the whims of any city official.

In order to spur business development, we must make it easy for potential businesses to obtain information on the many wonderful assets that Bartlesville has, and why it is a great place to have a business. In addition, we must make sure that we do not place excessive governmental regulations on businesses, as these will drive businesses away. I pledge to work to "get the word out" to potential businesses on how unique and wonderful Bartlesville is, and to ensure that there are not any unnecessary rules and restrictions that would discourage businesses from locating in Bartlesville.

If elected, I will strive to make Bartlesville more ACCOUNTABLE

In the private sector, business managers and employees are accountable to the owners and stockholders who have a financial investment in the success of the business, and if the owners are unhappy with their performance, then the managers will no longer be managers. Bartlesville is accountable to you, the taxpayers, who are the "owners", and I will strive to ensure that you, the taxpayers, maximize the value of your investment in Bartlesville. If elected, I vow to introduce ACCOUNTABILITY, so that the stockholders of Bartlesville (you) will know how your money is being spent and will be able to determine if the management (me) is using your money wisely.

If elected, I will strive to make Bartlesville more EFFICIENT

Because taxpayer dollars are readily available, Bartlesville has little vested financial incentive to be efficient. If elected, I will work to make sure Bartlesville is EFFICIENT and spends your tax dollars prudently and wisely.

If elected, I will strive to make Bartlesville more EQUITABLE

If elected, I will strive to ensure equality to Bartlesville, to ensure that equal services are provided to ALL parts of Bartlesville.

If elected, I will strive to make Bartlesville more TRANSPARENT

Does it seem sometimes that you are not aware of what the city is doing until after the fact? It seems that way to me! Sonic. The Roundabout. The Charter Changes. The changes to the C-4 zoning. Tractor Supply Company. Car-Mart. These are all issues where the city may have complied with the letter of the law, but not the spirit of it. Why the rush?

Other cities will read proposed actions at three separate council meetings, to ensure that every citizen has an opportunity to speak up. Other cities do not limit the amount of time citizens can speak Other cities ensure that public hearings are properly posted on agendas. Other cities have objective criteria for selecting members to boards, authorities, and commissions. All of these ideas reflect TRANSPARENCY. I believe that your government should be TRANSPARENT with you, as it is your, and if elected, will work to ensure such TRANSPARENCY.

IMPORTANT ISSUES

A community’s history defines its present. To understand where we are, we must understand where we came from. To do that, we must value history and historic preservation. Bartlesville has many unique historic buildings that we fail to appreciate. It should not be okay to demolish a historic structure just because you own it and it is your property, and the city should never issue a demolition permit for a historic structure unless it is a imminent threat to public safety. I believe that demolition permits should not be issued for any building with architectural or historic significance without a inspection of that building by a registered professional engineer and a signed letter by that engineer declaring that it is structurally unsound. Demolition permits for historic structures should be difficult to obtain, because once you destroy history, it cannot be replaced.

Economic Development is the most important issue facing Bartlesville. Without a healthy and vibrant economy, the city will no longer be able to perform the most basic functions due to the lack of revenue. Because of its isolated location far away from major transportation and cultural facilities, attracting new businesses to Bartlesville can be very challenging. Tax giveaways and incentives are not the solution, as these penalize existing small businesses that are the backbone of our community and some businesses will take the money and run after only a year or two. This sad scenario has occurred in city after city throughout the country. There is no easy solution to this dilemma. However, we do have quality-of-life features that other cities our size do not have – a symphony orchestra, Broadway musicals, outstanding local performers and artists. These are the intangibles that can weigh heavily in business location decisions. We should also strive to make Bartlesville attractive, and that is something that every citizen can and should do. Let's keep our city clean; we will feel better about ourselves and our home when we do!

Privatization is NOT a four letter word! (Actually, it's a 13-letter one.) Privatization, if done correctly, can spur economic development by providing much needed revenue for businesses. If a Bartlesville business can perform a function more efficiently and cost effectively than the government, then that function should be privatized. (Share the wealth!) It is not healthy for the economy for the government to be the one of the largest employers, as that leads to waste and inefficiency, and ultimately to the destruction of free enterprise (and its economic efficiency). However, privatization should be done judiciously, as privatization for its own sake is also economically destructive. It is far better to have Bartlesville employing Bartians than privatizing to a company that is located in another county, state, or country, as the money that would have been spent here is spent elsewhere and permanently leaves Bartlesville. If we privatize correctly, we will provide a stimulus to our local economy, increase tax revenues, and maximize the value of each and every tax dollar by making the government leaner and more efficient.

A good transportation infrastructure is very important to attract people and businesses to Bartlesville. However, not every road is important, and road projects should be evaluated judiciously. Is a roundabout really the best thing for Bartlesville? Is the Silver Lake Extension, a road that will pass outside the city limits to provide access to a ball field, really that important to the overall transportation network of Bartlesville? Are we getting the most bang for the buck? Are we really getting good value when we have to reconstruct Frank Phillips less than five years after we built it? While the transportation planner for one of the most populated counties in the United States, Dallas County, Texas, I created an objective evaluation system for each of our proposed bond projects, to ensure that the public monies went to those that were most crucial for the county, rather than the most politically expedient. As a registered civil engineer, I have the technical knowledge to understand whether or not those roads that are constructed will really deliver as promised, so we do not have to repeat the experience from Frank Phillips Boulevard.

Public Safety – Speeding is endemic throughout Bartlesville. I recently clocked motorists going 55 miles per hour in front of my house on Cherokee Avenue, a residential street with a speed limit of 30. With nine children, this concerns me greatly, as my children are at risk. I am confident other citizens on other residential streets in Bartlesville have similar horror stories and similar concerns. Unfortunately, due to the recent mismanagement of the city budget, the police force has been cut to the bone. The number one priority of the city should be funding police and fire –not swimming pools, not golf courses, not neat gadgets and toys for city employees. My children’s lives are at risk, and your children’s lives are too!

Changing The Government – Our current form of government is a five-member City Council with a City Manager who works at its pleasure. In essence, then, three people can dictate to you and I how we live our lives. Having worked for both a council-strong mayor form of government and a council-manager, I can personally attest that the former, however contentious, is much preferred. It has been said that one can tell a good city manager from a bad one because a bad one is there until retirement. Good city managers, ones that stand up for the people, are ones that have been a manager in a lot a places, as they are willing to put their own careers on the line to stand up for what is right, as opposed to bad city managers who hang around because they are willing to sell their independence for job security. The best governments are ones in which the executive and legislative branches are independent of each other, and votes are preceded by much discussion. It is not a bad thing to disagree; it is a bad thing when everyone always agrees, as that is indicative of laziness (“Why bother studying this? If it’s good enough for Tom, it’s good enough for me!”), corruption and backroom deals (“You scratch my back, I will scratch yours…”), or cowardice (“If I speak out I might make someone mad!”); none are positive traits for a city councilperson. My vision for our city government is this- a 13 member council, elected from wards, with a strong mayor elected at large, and the City Manager working for the mayor, and not the council. This proposal has several benefits. First, it makes the council much more representative, especially on the west side. Second, it prevents three people from hijacking the city government. Third, it allows the City Manager to act independently without fear of reprisal by the council, and removes the executive functions from council control.

Parks and recreation opportunities are important to the quality-of-life. However, not all parks are created equally! The recent park study broke down each park by its service area, the geographic area that each park serves. While useful, it didn’t take into account user demographics. For example, while a pocket park has a very limited geographic area, they are used by people of all demographic groups, young and old, rich and poor, male or female. On the other hand, while the golf course attracts users from a much wider geographic area, the user demographics are much narrower, as children and the elderly and the poor typically do not use the golf course. In short, the golf course is a public facility that really isn’t! Before selling off “worthless” pocket parks, the city should look first to sell off public assets like the golf course that are being paid for with the tax dollars of citizens who will never, or who will not have the opportunity, to use it.

Snow Removal – The official snow removal policy designates certain streets for snow removal under certain weather conditions. The policy gives no flexibility to the city staff, the experts on snow removal, to remove snow in a matter that it deems to be the best, but dictates to them how to do it. The problem is that this one-size-fits-all approach does not work for each and every snow event. During a snow event, the city staff's hands are tied by this detailed and prescriptive policy, which during the recent snow events caused numerous problems. Many citizens were stranded in their homes, unable to get to work, or worse, to get out for an emergency. Some streets not on the list were plowed, while others were not, giving the appearance of favoritism with respect to snow removal. It is inexcusable for any government to declare that some citizens are more valuable than others, but in failing to clear every street and in failing to clear only those streets specifically listed in the snow removal policy, the city did just that! No policies are better than bad ones, and if a policy cannot be followed, then it is a bad policy that should be eliminated. This is another of those quality-of-life issues businesses look at when deciding where to locate.

Boards and Authorities – If you look at a list of boards and authorities, you will see the same names come up time and again. There are 35,000 people in Bartlesville, which means there are more than enough to fill all of the boards and authorities without having the same people or families serve on multiple boards. I believe that no one person should be allowed to sit on more than one board, an appointee should be knowledgeable of the area of the board on which he or she is sitting on, every board should be geographically and demographically diverse, and under my proposed revision to the City Charter and form of governemnt, appointments would be made by the strong mayor with the approval of the City Council.

Zoning and Land Use have a major impact on quality of life. After all, who would want to live next to a rendering plant? In the past year, the city has changed zoning and land use to allow a drive-in restaurant, laboratories, contractor yards, and manufacturing downtown, passed revisions to the zoning ordinance sight unseen, held a public hearing for a rezoning without posting it on the council agenda, and threw out a land use plan created with citizen input for the U.S. 75 Corridor for a used auto dealer. Granted, the U.S. 75 Corridor Plan is dictatorial in nature and mostly outside the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Bartlesville, thereby making it irrelevant and moot, but if a plan is adopted, it should be followed, and if it can't be followed, then it should not be adopted. No plan is better than a bad one, especially one that chokes development and economic growth along a major corridor.

A Brief Biography of Michael Schrader

Age: 44

Occupation: Civil Engineer.

Family: Wife, Victoria; 7 children -- Jacqueline, Elizabeth, Genevieve, Xavier, Nikolai, Maximus, and Isaiah; 2 step-children – Dyllan and Cade.

Experience with government: Field Engineering Assistant, Missouri Highway and Transportation Department; Special Projects Engineer, Springfield, Illinois; Traffic Operations Engineer, Little Rock, Arkansas; Civil Engineer, Metroplan, the Council Of Governments of Central Arkansas; City Engineer and Public Works Director, Cabot, Arkansas; Senior Transportation Planner, Dallas County, Texas; City Engineer and Director of Public Works, Planning, and Economic Development, Balch Springs, Texas; Traffic Control Engineer, Tulsa, Oklahoma.