Voters voice concerns of losing their rights

It was standing room only at the Checotah City Council meeting Monday night as hundreds of concerned citizens showed up to oppose a proposal to change the police chiefs job from an elected position to an appointed position. However, the measure didn’t go up for debate as Mayor Daniel Tarkington stated, “Before we start citizens’ comments, we are going to strike proposal item 12 from the agenda. Tonight we’d like to listen to everybody’s concerns and that will give the council time to consider everybody’s concerns and from there if they feel like the proposal needs to be placed back on the agenda, they will place it back on the agenda at a further date for discussion. After that discussion and giving them time to think about it, they can place it on the agenda for action if they feel like it still needs to be.”

One by one several Checotah citizens voiced their concerns of possibly losing their right to vote as they backed their current choice for Chief of Police Darren Glover. Many questioned the reasoning behind the proposed change.

Roy Rogers was the first of the citizens to comment and used his three minutes to quote some appropriate scripture.

“God bless you with ability, abundance, may his angels go with you to give you assurance of the blood of grace…” he said.

Former sheriff of Haskell County, Tim Turner said, “I started my career here 22 years ago and I’ve since moved on. But one thing is constant, Checotah is still home. I stand before this council today, all of whom I’ve known for years… “Councilmen, Councilwoman and Mayor, you all have been voted on by the citizens of this community, just like Chief Glover has, to do a job. Your job, council, is to exercise legislative powers of city government, including dockets to handle city budgets, ordinances, and resolutions… it’s not to override the votes of the citizens that have elected Chief Glover.

“Chief Glover is in his third term. The first time he won by 70% and the next two (elections) he went unopposed. You might say ‘well Chief Glover went unopposed’ but that should show this council today that the citizens here believe he’s doing his job… “We’re here today not because Chief Glover has broken the law, but because this council wants to be able to not only take the power from him but dictate the other city officials. By this showing tonight if you vote to remove Chief Glover, you might also have just voted to remove yourself in the next election cycle.”

Ada Underhill voiced her concerns of her voice and her children’ voices not being heard in the future. She believes “We the people should always be the check and balances our government needs.”

Mary Fisher stated, “I exercise my right to vote. My family exercises their right to vote. Some of you have come and stood on my front porch and asked for those votes. You’ve told me that you support the police department. You’ve told me that you support the fire department. These are public servants. If you’ve got something to say, say it publicly. I voted for four years and I expect to have my four years… If there’s a better person that can stand up and be the chief of police, I haven’t met them.”

Larry Pouncil said, “You know we have the right to vote and we voted this man in and did it three times. I don’t think that should be taken away from us… Let us do what we’re supposed to do. If he needs to be voted out, let us vote him out, the people …but I think he deserves the right to be our chief.”

The mayor stated after the meeting that he will consider each and everyone’s comments and concerns and that he just wants the best form of government for the City of Checotah, whatever that might be.

Glover commented, “It just makes me sad that it (the proposal) was placed on the agenda in the first place.”

Read more about the city council meeting in next week’s edition.