Newly elected Republican Mayor G.T. Bynum may have been sworn into office a little over two months ago, but that hasn’t stopped him from already fulfilling some of his campaign promises, including putting together an unusually nonpartisan administration.
Seven of the eleven positions on his team have been filled by registered Democrats, one of whom happens to be former Tulsan mayor Kathy Taylor. In addition, Bynum has released a list of eight goals he hopes to accomplish this year covering a variety of topics such as high school graduation rate, crime rate and population growth rate, and while he hasn’t released any official target numbers or strategies, he remains confident as to how this year will play out.
Many people wonder, though, whether he is focusing on the right issues and, more importantly, if he can actually fulfill his promises. Considerably younger than recent mayors, Bynum has set some very ambitious goals that have left critics skeptical as to whether he can actually accomplish his plans and bring serious change to Tulsa, or if his promises are just another case of youthful inexperience.
While Bynum hasn’t set a goal for every issue plaguing Tulsa.These goals were set in hopes of having ripple effects, positively affecting other issues that fall under the same umbrella.
For example, improving the high school graduation rate might also affect the state’s teen pregnancy rate, and closing the life expectancy gap between north and south Tulsa residents might include handling the city’s drug problem
As to whether or not he’s up to the challenge at hand, student Abbie Cassody remains optimistic. “We collectively voted him into office because we believe in him,” she says. “He deserves a chance to prove himself, and I definitely think he can do it.”
