Tulsa Mayor Offers Compromise For Tribal Jurisdiction During State Of The City Address

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum offered to broker a compromise that could end city litigation against the Muscogee Creek Nation.

Bynum said he believed the three tribes that make up Tulsa could simply “recognize” the existing City municipal code, as is done by the state government, and eliminate most of the jurisdictional issues caused by reservations overlapping Tulsa.

Bynum made the remarks during an annual “State of the City” address before the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

The tribes did not immediately respond to his comments.

In a related note, Bynum said Tulsa is adopting a new City Seal that includes an arrowhead signifying the Creek Indian roots in the founding of Tulsa.

Bynum said he had presented his plan to the tribes in the days before his speech and presented the offer as an alternative to waiting for Congressional action or the resolution of lawsuits filed by the State.

“We're sitting here reliant on either Congress to act, which they haven't, or the state to work out an agreement, and they've made it clear to me they're only focused on litigation. I don't think doing nothing or litigation should be the only options,” said Bynum.

He promised if an agreement could be reached, the city would drop all litigation involving the tribes.

“I’m very eager to get to the table with my colleagues from the tribes and try and work this out instead of all of us just waiting on the courts to figure it out for us.”

Bynum said the state was “fixated” on litigation against the tribes, and Congress had done nothing.

“I’ve spent three years waiting for them to do something, and they haven’t, so we’re going to do as much as we can on our own,” he said.

The Mayor called the potential compromise with the tribes his top priority for the last year he has in office. Bynum isn't running for re-election and has 13 months left on the job.

Bynum also outlined several new initiatives to deal with homelessness and mental health, which are often tied together, and require a new approach. Bynum said the City could give officers authority to pursue an emergency order of detention against people mentally unable to care for themselves in consultation with mental health workers.

“If both an officer and a mental health clinician agree, we will file an emergency order of detention to get that person into a treatment center to get them the help that they need,” said Bynum.

Bynum said a goal set last year, to ensure $500 million of new investment in housing for Tulsa, had been reached earlier than expected.

While much of the speech focused on issues around homelessness, Bynum's key point was that Tulsa should work with the tribes to settle jurisdictional legalities instead of using the courts or waiting on someone else to resolve them.

Bynum could run again but isn't, and he said he won't be endorsing anyone in the mayor’s race, which will be in late summer of 2024, in hopes he can better work with candidates and the winner to transition the office.