OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Blumert has resigned from her position as Oklahoma County Commissioner to take a new job.
Blumert announced in a press release Tuesday that she has accepted the job of CEO of Mental Health Association Oklahoma (MHAOK).
Her last day in office as the District 1 commissioner will be September 30 and her first day in her new position with MHAOK will be October 1.
“Mental health care has been my passion from day one and will continue to be my north star,” wrote Blumert. “I am excited to take on this new journey at Mental Health Association Oklahoma as their new CEO.”
Being a county commissioner is a full-time job with full-time pay.
Commissioners are publicly seen in their Board of County Commissioner meetings. Still, behind those public appearances, commissioners are the day-to-day executives of county operations such as road maintenance, building maintenance, and many other functions.
Therefore, Blumert would have to leave behind her commissioner role to devote her time to the new position.
District 1 includes the communities of Del City, Forest Park, Jones, Lake Aluma, Midwest City, Nicoma Park, Oklahoma City, Spencer, and The Village.
Surprise to other commissioners — next steps
It was a “total surprise” to Commissioner Brian Maughan, he told Free Press in a phone call Tuesday.
Maughan laid out the process for handling the absence which begins with an immediate, functional replacement for the role as the election process moves forward.
“The chief deputy, who is serving as her chief deputy at the moment she resigns, will be the acting commissioner, until which time an elected Commissioner can be seated,” Maughan told us. “The election board has told me this morning that the election cannot be held until after the first of the year, but the governor has a few different options for which date he calls the election, and that will be up to him.”
Joe Blough is Blumert’s chief deputy and will assume the role when Blumert steps down.
Each commissioner’s chief deputy is the top executive staffer for all operations. Normally, they have as much knowledge of running the county as the commissioners and sit in on meetings regularly in place of their commissioner.
Accomplishments
Blumert cited some of the accomplishments she is most proud of during her time in office starting in 2019 when she was first elected to office.
“I am most proud of my work on securing MAPS4 funding for new crisis centers, an addiction treatment center, and supportive housing for people living with mental illness,” Blumert said in the press release. “I am also extremely proud of leading the effort to build a new Behavioral Care Center next to our new jail that will provide mental health treatment instead of incarceration.”
Thanks constituents for support
Blumert ran for office in 2018 and won, taking the position in January 2019.
Her time as a county commissioner has involved successes and some frustrations as the two other commissioners have often voted down her ideas for the county as a whole.
But, within District 1, assembling a capable staff and connecting directly with constituents both in town hall settings and in phone town halls during the Pandemic have represented strong points of her administration.
She was generous in her praise of fellow county officials, staff, and constituents.
“I sincerely thank the outstanding community and voters in District 1 who put their trust in me. It has been an honor to serve you,” Blumert wrote. “Thank you to my incredible staff in District 1, my fellow County Elected Officers, and all the incredible staff at Oklahoma County. You show up every day to serve our community with very little thanks. I could not have done this important work without you.”
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
