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By Eric Bradshaw, staff writer
The Sun Editor's note: This story will run in the June 8 edition of The Sunday Sun.
Two Republicans and two Democrats threw their hat into the ring for the District 2 Oklahoma County Commissioner slot Monday.
The seat is currently held by Brent Rinehart, who filed Tuesday. Before the filing period closed, another Democrat, Charles Saunders of Harrah, also filed.
In an e-mail, Rinehart wrote that the District 2 highway department had paved more roads, built more bridges and secured more road and bridge money than any previous District 2 commissioner. He also noted that he pushed for greater transparency in the workings of the county government.
Rinehart also addressed charges filed by the Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson which include the acceptance of illegal campaign contributions. He also faces federal charges of tax evasion and has come under the scrutiny of the state’s multicounty grand jury concerning a road and bridge project near the development of Ray Pelfrey, who contributed to Rinhart’s campaign and gave him a large home loan.
“I expect that my opponents will avoid a meaningful discussion of my vast achievements while in office and focus on Democrat Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s misuse of office to provide political ammunition to my Republican challengers. Edmondson has succeeded in casting a shadow over my re-election campaign as evidenced by the fact that I will not have an opportunity to clear my name before the Republican primary. I will not be given a chance to go to trial to prove my innocence until September, long after the Republican primary,” Rinehart wrote.
Former Harrah vice mayor Jim Dickinson was one of the four to file Monday. Though he lost in a race for the same seat in the last election cycle, he was close enough to consider giving it another shot, he said.
“They almost got me in there last time. I didn’t lose by much,” he said.
Dickinson’s primary concern is that the District 2 road construction is not being done as well as it could be. He said sections of S.E. 29th were redone possibly because they weren’t done right the first time. He has also noticed that District 2 workers are frequently pulled off one job and sent to another.
The Harrah businessman opened Dickinson’s Custom Homes in 1992. His son, Jimmy Dickinson III, will take over the family business. Before opening his business, Dickinson worked for road construction contractors and in repair shops.
He said that paving preparation is complex and he thought he might be able to improve on the way county streets are paved.
Dickinson said that one problem may be the size of the District 2 staff.
“I feel that they’re shorthanded right now,” he said.
The former vice mayor said he also considered economic development and county aid for school projects to both be very important parts of the county commissioner’s jobs. But the roads are important for residents’ safety, he said.
“I rode a motorcycle on a lot of these roads. It’s dangerous,” Dickinson said.
Saunders, also of Harrah, is an Air Force retiree who returned to Oklahoma about five years ago. He was raised in Del City and has a connection to many parts of the district while attending Mid-Del Technology Center and Southern Nazarene University.
He owns the UPS store on Tinker Air Force Base.
“It just seemed like a natural fit,” Saunders said.
Saunders said he isn’t a politician but would like to serve the people of the place he considers home.
“I love Oklahoma, that’s why I chose Oklahoma as my home again,” he said.
He said he liked the work being done by District 2 and would keep up that tradition, making sure he did things “smart.”
“I think one of the greatest honors I could do is to serve the public,” he said.
Bobby Boyster, a 25-year employee of Oklahoma City, said he had helped build bridges and roads for the city. He will face Dickinson and Saunders in the Democratic primary on July 29.
“I know how government works so I want to be county commissioner,” Boyster said.
Boyster considers himself a conservative Democrat who opposes frivolous taxes. An example of an important tax was the Tinker bond issue, he said.
“The last bond issue for Tinker field was a very important one and I supported that 100 percent,” he said.
Boyster said he wanted to put taxpayers first and focus on roads and bridges and economic development. He also listed bringing new businesses to south Oklahoma City and improving the mass transit system as priorities.
There might even be more funding for the county jail with the recent passing of a bill to fund more roads and bridges, he said.
“Sheriff Whetsel has always been underfunded,” he said. “Whether we can get their (sufficient funding) or not is another question.”
Boyster said he thought he would have no problem working with any of the other county officials.
“I know how to compromise, but I’m not a rollover-type guy,” he said.
Republican candidate Brian Maughan said he was running because of County Commissioner Brent Rinehart’s multiple legal battles and general controversy created by his tenure.
“There is just not a will to work with Commissioner Rinehart right now due to his continuing problems,” Maughan said.
Maughan left an AT&T government relations position April 15 to pursue the county commissioner position. In the past, he has worked as a public information officer for District 3 and the economic development director for District 2.
J.D. Johnston, a former Bethany mayor, is another Republican running for the seat.
According to Maughan, the two know each other and are friends.
“I considered running four years ago, and so did J.D. Johnston,” Maughan said.
Johnston served in the Oklahoma City and Bethany police departments for a period of 20 years and, for the past 26 years, was the president and CEO of Johnston Equipment and Supply Company.
“I believe county government should be open, accountable and efficient,” Johnston is quoted in a press release announcing his filing. “As mayor I never raised taxes, and I pledge to maintain that record as a county commissioner.”
Source: http://www.mwcsun.com/local/local_story_157184445.html
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