Leftwich Bill Focuses on Home Rule Government

Senator Debbe Leftwich, chair of the Senate Business and Labor Committee wants to give Oklahoma voters the option of deciding what type of local government they want to have.

Leftwich (D-Oklahoma City) filed Senate Bill 1407 which would give any county in Oklahoma which contains a metropolitan area with a population of 250,000 or more the option to adopt or amend a county home rule charter for county government.

A home rule government allows for the appointment of a county administrator and governing board. It could also lead to combined city and county governments. Currently, under Oklahoma law, three commissioners from different districts throughout the county are elected to operate local governments.

“County home rule would allow the voters in that county to develop a charter and basically decide what kind of governments they would want to have,” Leftwich said. “It could consolidate some government and city and county services.”

Jim Roth, Oklahoma County Commissioner said he is in favor of having voters decide what type of local or county government they want.

“Home rule allows our citizens to regain control of local government to study what works and a chance to fix what’s not working and to restructure it for this modern era,” Roth said.

Leonard Sullivan, who serves as the Oklahoma County Assessor said consolidating some government entities is a good idea.

“I’m in favor in letting us vote for it,” Sullivan said. “Some kind of consolidation in Oklahoma County would be good. “It currently makes for a real cumbersome government. ‘We need to do some kind of consolidation and streamlining of county government.”

Butch Freeman, Oklahoma County Treasurer says he favors changing how county government works.

“I think we need to change county government especially in the two largest counties in the state,” Freeman said.

Leftwich said this is an issue that is important for all Oklahomans and she wants them to have the chance to vote for what they want.

“This is something that every resident should be concerned with,” Leftwich said. “This bill provides voters the opportunity to change the face of their local and county and government if they want.”