Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..
Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Updated: May 12, 2023 @ 8:05 pm
Hughes
Perkins
Hoos
Cole
Hughes
Perkins
Hoos
Cole
Fourteen candidates will compete Feb. 8 for five Muskogee City Council seats up for election in 2022.
Ward IV Councilor Tracy Alan Hoos II, a local physician, will compete for his first four-year term against three challengers. Those challengers include Tracy E. Cole, who competed in 2020 for the mayoral post, Stanley Perkins and Mark Hughes.
The four candidates took time recently to respond to questions about their campaigns and issues they believe are important.
Q: What do you consider to be the most important issue during this election cycle — the one you would prioritize if elected to office?
COLE: Economic development.
HOOS: One of the more important issues is to continue with economic development that brings jobs outside of manufacturing to Muskogee. We need more good-paying jobs like Trafera recently brought to Muskogee. The technology industry is its own community; by doing this successfully we will bring in more jobs in this field. We must ensure we provide them with reasonable incentives and assist with infrastructure to build off of this. Additional priority considerations will be focusing on available housing and entertainment to entice the 40,000 people that currently commute into our city for work to relocate and live here.
HUGHES: I would prioritize increasing the effectiveness of communications between city officials and the city’s residents. Currently, no city councilors conduct ward meetings to hear from their constituents. For at least the last 25 years the city hasn’t conducted a survey of its citizens. If we don’t know what our constituents want the future of Muskogee to be, then how do city councilors know what to work toward? Right now city councilors personally decide those issues and we bear the burden of their decisions. This needs to change.
PERKINS: Promoting a clean and safe environment.
Q: What steps do you believe are necessary to address this issue in order to realize the change you envision?
HOOS: We need to continue with the momentum we have right now … We have jobs coming, housing developments going up, downtown apartments, and new eating establishments and retail coming to the city. We need to continue … to be aggressive …, marketing of our community and offering appropriate and reasonable incentives that will keep us moving forward. We may need to rebrand our city and move past the recurring themes we use. We need to utilize and be active with the Muskogee Redevelopment Authority, which streamlines the process of recruiting companies and availability for our Civic Center to attract more venues.
HUGHES: I pledge to hold quarterly meetings with my constituents to listen to their concerns and problems and assist them in resolving them. Additionally I pledge that at my first City Council meeting I’ll place on the agenda the issue of a city-wide scientific survey in collaboration with the National Citizens Survey group. I will also provide my constituents with my phone number and email address. There is no reason for our hard working taxpayers not to have a reliable way to contact their city councilor. I assure you that I will respond in a timely manner.
PERKINS: We do this by making the citizens aware of the services and resources available. Most may not be aware the city offers bulk trash pickup. This within itself would help eliminate illegal dumping along our trails and neighborhoods. I propose we encourage individuals or groups to get involved in adopting a stretch of road to clean so we can get back to a Beautiful Muskogee.
COLE: The steps are having the right people in place on the City Council. To promote and move the Muskogee Redevelopment Authority forward. To put the city in the best direction to be successful.
Q: How would the lives of Muskogee residents be affected if you proved successful in effecting that change?
HUGHES: Muskogee could be a completely different place — bigger, bolder, better — if citizen surveys are conducted regularly. Such constant measurement of citizens’ opinions on a wide variety of essential subjects would give them the idea that city officials are finally listening. Such involvement in an essential city function would also boost pride in what citizens think about city leadership and instill the same pride in themselves. Right now nine elected officials and a handful of non-elected officials make decisions that leave us to believe they don’t care about our opinions.
PERKINS: A cleaner Muskogee would mean increased tourism, economic development, and not to mention it would instill pride within our residents.
COLE: It would promote better housing opportunities in our city and would give us the best opportunities at having real jobs for our citizens to be able to have real financial gain. So that everyone can have the chance to live, work, and play in Muskogee.
HOOS: All Muskogee residents would feel the impact when this happens. Not only with new job creation giving more opportunity, but Hilldale and Muskogee Public Schools will receive more funding from property taxes, and the city would have a better sales tax revenue. This would allow the city to continue its progress of fixing our streets and infrastructure. Muskogee residents would have more options for dining, entertainment and retail. There would be no excuse to have to go anywhere else for this.
Q: Why do you think you are the best candidate to serve the interests of the community and those you would represent if elected?
PERKINS: Being a lifelong resident of Muskogee, I worked for the city of Muskogee for 36 years. I currently serve on the City of Muskogee Foundation Health and Wellness Committee. I served as both coach and president of the Paul Young Football League for over 25 years interacting with the youth and parents in our community. Served as a mentor at Cherokee Elementary School.
COLE: Because being a lifelong Okie, I understand the people of Muskogee. I understand the citizens of Ward IV. I realize the importance of putting Muskogee first.
HOOS: With the exception of my medical training, my wife and I have been lifelong residents in Muskogee. My family and I have invested our time and personal resources in the community we love. I have no desire to be part of any “good ol boy” group that offers quid pro quo. I want to see everyone in this town succeed, especially those that put their sweat, money, and tears in Muskogee, too. Additionally, I have the unique opportunity to work with up to 150 families each week allowing me to hear the needs of our community. As for Ward IV, we are going to attract businesses for our district. I have repurposed a building in this Northwest quadrant of the city for my business, this is where I wanted to be. I want to help others that want to do the same. We are going to make sure the street projects and other city projects are done right here.
HUGHES: I have a deep interest in making sure that city officials truly listen to us. When I worked at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant the commanding officer would conduct “questions and answer” sessions with 1,200 employees and I was responsible for recording all the questions, coordinating the answers, and following up with the employees. Citizen surveys are conducted in Oklahoma City (pop. 900,000+) and Shawnee, OK (pop. 16,000). Muskogee can do it too; we just need the political wherewithal to do it. The truth doesn’t mind being questioned. The lie doesn’t like being challenged.
Q: Please identify the specific skills and qualities you believe are important for an elected official to possess to be successful as a Muskogee city councilor and explain why.
COLE: You first have to process the ability to listen, to hear and understand the needs of people all the time. Not pop up when it’s campaign season and decide that your community matters because you need their vote to put you in a seat that represents the people. But when it’s time to represent the people, you turn your back on the people and look the other way.
HOOS: I am a successful business owner. I know what it takes to succeed in our town. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve Ward IV … This experience has given me the knowledge of the council rules and workings. I successfully initiated and problem-solved the recruiting of Trafera, the technology company bringing good jobs to Muskogee. I have learned lessons during this recruitment, making me better equipped to recruit other businesses. While I know I cannot make everyone happy, I will always do what is best for the citizens of the city I love, Muskogee!
HUGHES: Honesty, accountability and transparency are essential qualities for everyone but especially elected officials. It is imperative that when a crisis arises, we can depend upon them to tell the truth, no matter how badly it might make them look. And the true character of a leader is admitting when they’re wrong. Accountability is holding yourself accountable to the voters and reminding yourself that your actions reflect upon the city. Leaders need to be already trained in their positions, not chosen because he or she is likeable, but selected because that person is truly qualified and proven for the job.
PERKINS: I consider myself to be dependable, hard-working, and a good listener. As a retired Assistant Chief with the Muskogee Fire Department, I was an effective leader who demonstrated both honesty and integrity. In this leadership role, I had to show accountability, attention to detail, and teamwork. As an elected official, one has to be a good listener, open-minded, show empathy, and have a vision. The bottom line: You must genuinely care for the people you work with and serve.
MEET TRACY E. COLE
AGE: 51.
HOMETOWN: Muskogee.
FAMILY: Wife, Sharica Cole, and four children.
EDUCATION: Boulevard Christian School (high school); Connors State College, associate’s degree.
HOBBIES: Working and serving in my community, 1st vice president Muskogee Branch NAACP; CASA volunteer; Muskogee Public Schools Long Range Planning Committee.
MEET DR. TRACY ALAN HOOS II
Age: 46.
HOMETOWN: Muskogee.
OCCUPATION: Physician and Owner of Hoos Pediatric and Adolescent Care. Adjunct clinical professor for Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
FAMILY: My wife of 23 years is Krist Hoos of Muskogee. she is the daughter of Sandra and PA Jones of Muskogee. We have two sons, Trey, 18, and Cadyn, 15. My parents are Tracy Hoos Sr. and Letha Hoos. I have one sister, Denise Sellars.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from Northeastern State University. Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Completed Medical Internship and Residency in Pediatrics from University of Oklahoma Center for Health Sciences.
HOBBIES: Competition cooking in Kansas City Barbecue Society and Steak Cookoff Association, camping, movies with family.
FACEBOOK PAGE: Dr. Tracy Hoos for Muskogee City Council Ward IV
MEET MARK HUGHES
AGE: 67.
HOMETOWN: Muskogee.
OCCUPATION: Retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and retired from McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.
FAMILY: My wife, Teresa, and our two dogs, Chase and Ruby.
EDUCATION: Muskogee High School graduate, 1972; Northeastern State College, 1976, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism/Education with a history minor; Master’s in Communications, Northeastern State University, 1999.
HOBBIES: Reading, working on a second master’s degree, and writing a book.
MEET STANLEY PERKINS
AGE: 63.
HOMETOWN: Muskogee.
OCCUPATION: Retired Assistant Fire Chief from the city Of Muskogee.
FAMILY: Juanda Perkins, my wife of 31 years; two children: one son and one daughter; and six grandchildren.
EDUCATION: Muskogee High School graduate, Class of ’77; Bachelor of Science degree from University of Central Oklahoma, Class of ’81.
HOBBIES: Gardening, listening to music and photography.
FACEBOOK PAGE: Stanley Perkins
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