A LETTER FROM PHIL

I love this city, my hometown, and I'm wired to pour my heart and soul into what I love. Tulsa is not a thing to me; it's been a part of me since my family moved here 47 years ago. Its place in my life grows every day, because of what it gives to me, and what I see it give to others. 

My values are part of everything I do: professionalism, perfection, integrity, civility, and humility. Because I expect these traits of myself, I expect them from others, especially those at City Hall. The work we do today at City Hall has advanced considerably to be more efficient and customer-focused, equating to fiscal constraint and far better services, yet we must continue to do better. 

I’m exceedingly grateful to have been elected seven, consecutive times to serve as District 8’s City Councilor and couldn’t be prouder. My best work is engaging deeply in and leading our most complex issues, from building consensus among homeowners' associations and city engineers during road projects to assembling major, multi-year, billion-dollar sales tax packages that voters review and approve. I constantly communicate with residents, particularly during the flood emergency and a wide variety of street widening and construction projects that impact commute times and quality of life. And, I enjoy making a resident's day better with things that seem straightforward, like personally and immediately addressing someone's missed trash pickup or having a pothole repaired. 

Over my twelve years as a Councilor, I’ve served with 23 different councilors and 2 mayors, and have been able to lead in these efforts, which will forever shape and benefit Tulsa:

• Invested billions of dollars in visionary projects, street widening, a south Tulsa dam, and infrastructure through four tax packages (Improve Our Tulsa 1/2/3 and Vision Tulsa) that were all overwhelmingly supported by voters;
• Completed two widening projects: Yale (Creek to 103rd) and 81st (Sheridan to Memorial). Yale widening (81st to 91st) will finish mid-August, providing increased safety and a template for future projects. And $50M+ more in widening is slated: 81st (Harvard to Yale), and Sheridan at 101st and 81st to 91st.
• Strengthened public safety through a permanent fund to employ 160 police officers and 65 firefighters and invest $100s of millions in additional equipment, vehicles, and the Real Time Crime Center;
• Appropriated over $100MM to shelter and build affordable housing inventory for those without homes, while also strengthening trespassing and obstruction ordinances to keep our public safe;
• Beautified Tulsa through a unique ordinance that has caused 100s of thousands of illegal advertising signs to be removed, and allocate over $70MM to bury ugly utility lines, light city streets, and maintain medians;
• Invested $2.25MM to support and expand offerings for local arts organizations over 15 years; and,
• Allocated $100s of millions in ARPA funds for a new control tower at and direct flights from Tulsa’s airport, golf course improvements at Page Belcher and Mohawk, a new and desperately needed animal shelter, and a first-ever investment in Tulsa’s municipal court to markedly expand access to courts, specialty courts, and mental health services.

I am deeply proud of the work I’ve been able to do over the last 12 years. My leadership and tenure on the Council matter: I know who to talk to, how to push projects through the governmental system to completion, where to identify funding, and how to maintain decorum and professionalism when mindsets differ. There are so many more opportunities to do good work for Tulsa – which I am committed to do – and I humbly ask for your continued trust and vote on August 27th. 

Sincerely,