Last Updated on October 5, 2023, 3:53 PM | Published: October 5, 2023
MOORE (Okla) — Newly appointed council member Kathy Griffith has now represented Moore’s Ward 1 for almost a month.
Council member Griffith was appointed by the City Council in August. She fills the Ward 1 seat Danielle McKenzie left vacant when she stepped down in July.
The nature of a council appointment can end up leaving residents confused, wondering who exactly represents their interests in the City council.
Griffith agreed to a Free Press interview about her priorities.
Moore’s newest City Council member is showing signs of being a behind-the-scenes problem solver who is in government for the long-term benefits of good governance.
Her political philosophy is to “live and let live,” and she aims for nondramatic, community-building solutions to city issues.
Roots in Moore gov
Council member Griffith should be a familiar face to longtime Moore residents. She represented Ward 2 in the Moore city council from 2004-2012.
Along with her experience on the council, she’s played an important role in many city government committees that get the ball rolling on City developments.
She served on the Moore Board of Adjustment, and Urban Renewal Authority, and she helped plan portions of the Moore Veterans Memorial Park.
She was also a member of ACOG (Association of Central Oklahoma Governments) and helped usher in the next generation of lifesaving 911 triangulation technology for the metro area.
Council Member Griffith is a longtime resident of Moore, too.
“I can remember when 12th street was a dirt road… We have come a long way, and I am super proud of my community.”
April 24 seat expiration
Council member Griffith’s seat is set to expire in April of 2024.
When asked if she was planning on running for the Ward’s election, she said it depends on the quality of the opponent.
“If there is an opponent that could do a better job than me, I’ll let them have it.”
And if not?
“If someone is using it as a stepping stone, then I will run.”
Council member Griffith wants residents to know that she has no higher agenda and no intentions of leaving the city high and dry once her term expires.
“We want someone that’s in it for the long haul,” Griffith said.
She mentioned that she has trouble with people bouncing around in the real estate industry, “glorifying a goal, but not the work that gets it accomplished.”
That’s not how she’d like to govern.
Council member Griffith applied to the council to make sure that Ward 1 is represented with governmental experience and proven dedication to the Moore community.
Drama, acknowledging citizen disagreements, progress
Council member Kathy Griffith stands strongly against drama.
“It is contagious, infectious, it metastasizes, and it lingers.”
Although most proposals that hit the council get passed unanimously, the City is not without some disputed decisions.
Just in the last few months, the Curbside recycling proposal sewed some discourse on how the city ought to progress on the issue.
Former council member Danielle McKenzie was one of several dissenting members who wanted the proposal to be passed as a motion, rather than sent out to a vote of the people.
In regards to addressing citizen concerns, Council member Griffith said that it is important as a city to acknowledge the desires of residents.
“People want to be heard…There is nothing worse than dismissing somebody.”
However, change is happening, she said, and council member Griffith would like longtime residents to be open to it.
“Change is going to come, and let’s look at it like progress.”
Other city business
On Monday, Moore City Council took care of some routine business items. It was a short meeting, but some improvements may affect you.
The basketball courts at Parmele Park will be getting some 30’ Sports Lighting Poles to help with nighttime visibility.
The Parks and Rec department plans to repaint the red/tan, blue, and yellow slides at The Station Aquatic Center (Despite the late summer/early fall heat, the aquatic center has been closed since mid-September).
Public works will add two new vehicles to the fleet to replace some old trucks.
Public Works Director Tony Mensah described the trucks as “in the shop longer than they were on the road,” so the new loader and dump trucks should come in handy.
The next Moore City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
