New Tulsa Mayor, City Councilors Sworn In

Mayor-elect G.T. Bynum and two new city councilors were sworn in Monday afternoon in an inauguration at Central Library.

In addition to Bynum becoming Tulsa's 40th mayor, new councilors Vanessa Hall-Harper and Ben Kimbro took the oath of office.

“I come from a family that believes service as Mayor of Tulsa is the greatest honor in elected public service, and I am so thankful my fellow Tulsans have given me this chance to give it my all in this job,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. 

Bynum said he will focus on "renewing a spirit of high expectations at City Hall," focusing on education, economic development, government efficiency, public safety and community development.

The newly formed council has to set up their organization - they were to vote on a new chair and vice chair immediately after the ceremony. That's basically the people who run the meetings for the council.

And the new mayor has some reorganization plans for the top level of city government - he says to streamline some of the reporting to him, and to let department heads run their departments. He's also officially designating his top team.

"Right after I'm sworn, we'll vote on the list of temporary mayors - who will handle things if I'm out of town, or if I get hit by a bus, then our charter allows the mayor to organize the government, but the council needs to approve that, and my expectation is that they will do that, right after I'm sworn in," Bynum said before the inauguration.

Bynum's moving the mayor's office around on the top floor of city hall, from a smaller room for just the mayor, to a larger room so he can have meetings in his working office.

Bynum's administration includes the following people:

• Michael Junk, Deputy Mayor
• Jack Blair, Chief of Staff
• Amy Brown, Deputy Chief of Staff
• Kathy Taylor, Chief of Economic Development
• James Wagner, Chief of Performance Strategy and Innovation
• Nick Doctor, Chief of Community Development and Policy
• Jonathan Townsend, Assistant to the Mayor for Community Development and Policy
• Christina Starzl Mendoza, Assistant to the Mayor for Community Development and Policy
• Kimberly Madden, Mayor’s Executive Aide
• Brandon Oldham, Mayor’s Aid