Tulsa City Councilor Critical of City Attorney

By Emory Bryan, The News on 6

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa City Councilor John Eagleton has urged Mayor Dewey Bartlett to review City Attorney Deirdre Dexter's record and consider whether she should remain employed with the city.

Eagleton, a lawyer, wrote the mayor, "I cannot express the depth of my dissatisfaction or disappointment in Mrs. Dexter's performance. I believe she is not competent in the field of municipal law."

Eagleton's letter detailed eight cases where he believes Dexter "rendered inconsistent, inaccurate, and untimely advice" to the city, one of which resulted in a $7 million settlement payout by the city.

Read Tulsa City Councilor John Eagleton's letter to Mayor Dewey Bartlett

Dexter was hired by Mayor Kathy Taylor as interim City Attorney and was later named to the post on a permanent basis. Several councilors, including Councilor Rick Westcott, have publicly criticized Dexter's handling of legal matters involving the city.

Dexter's abilities might be discussed Tuesday by the City Council during a meeting on a pending case involving the Tulsa airport, which came out of the failure of Great Plains Airlines. The agenda item is not about Dexter's employment.

Eagleton's letter to the mayor was written in January and urged Bartlett to take action before the council had to bring it up. Eagleton wrote, "I believe many of my fellow Councilors share my concerns and feelings and have lost confidence in her ability to represent the City of Tulsa. Some have spoken of a formal vote on the matter. I hope you can address the situation before it is placed on an agenda and places the entire matter in the public eye, which serves no one's best interest, including Mrs. Dexters.'"

Tuesday, the city council is also set to discuss a $150,000 settlement of a lawsuit against Tulsa Police officers.

4/19/2010  Related Story: City Of Tulsa Settles Tulsa Police Department Beating Lawsuit