Tulsa City Councilor Says Case For Mayor's Ouster Getting Stronger

Emory Bryan, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma – A Tulsa City Councilor says he's close to finalizing a petition for ouster on Tulsa's Mayor.

It would compel the state's Attorney General to investigate the claims, which come at a time of increasing distance between the mayor and council.

Councilor John Eagleton says he's got almost twice the signatures he needs and now he's finishing up the backup materials. He says in the last few weeks the case for ouster has grown stronger.

The Tulsa City Council is united in the opinion that Mayor Bartlett's administration pays them less attention by the day.

That's part of the motivation for an ouster petition being spearheaded by Councilor John Eagleton. Eagleton's petition could force a state investigation that Governor Mary Fallin refused to order from the Attorney General.

3/11/2011 Related Story: Governor Denies Councilor's Request To Call For Investigation Into Tulsa Mayor

"Things have changed since then, the case for ouster has gotten better and I intend to include things that were not included to the Governor, so the AG can have a current picture, today, of what's going on in the City Hall," Eagleton said.

In their usual Tuesday Committee meetings, the councilors, without exception, expressed aggravation over what they believe is the continuing lack of an adequate response from the administration, on many issues.

Mayor Bartlett was in Washington, D.C. Tuesday and couldn't personally attend their meetings, but no one else was sent in his place.

"The mayor sometimes communicates to us via letter or memo, but I personally have had no conversations with the Mayor on any issue in a very long time, and I don't think the other councilors have either," Councilor Rick Westcott said.

The communication gap isn't helped by the council's frustration over Interim City Attorney, David Pauling, who was appointed by Bartlett.

The Council is drilling Pauling for information about one of his opinions, which they say he won't give them.  Pauling was out sick Tuesday during their meeting, but as with other issues, the council promises to keep scheduling discussions until they get someone to talk.

A spokesperson for the Mayor said Tuesday they believed all the council's questions had been answered about one issue that was on the agenda Tuesday for the 7th time.