Lawton residents will select two City Council members and the Mayor this year.
Officeholders whose posts are up for election this year include Mary Ann Hankins, who has served two terms in Ward 1; Kelly Harris, who is stepping down after one term inWard 2; and Mayor Stan Booker, who has held that post for two terms.
Booker told Southwest Ledger he intends to file for a final term.
“It’s been a great three years, the best job I’ve ever held, but it’s time for me to step aside and let somebody else have an opportunity to make a difference,” Harris told the Ledger.
“I’ve accomplished virtually everything I set out to do, but a few projects are still in the works: lighting on Interstate 44 and on Rogers Lane; we still have homeless issues; and we need to get the CIP extension approved so we can continue to move forward and be progressive, and make Lawton the destination of choice for families.”
Harris said he is “extremely proud to have served with this council and mayor. They have gone above and beyond in reaching out to serve the citizens of this community.”
The filing period is slated from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 17, 18 and 19cat the Comanche County Election Board in the County Courthouse in Lawton. Candidates will not be charged a filing fee, the Ledger was told.
A City Council candidate must be a resident for at least six months of the ward that he/she is vying to represent, and a mayoral candidate must have been a Lawton resident for six months prior to the date of filing. Council candidates are elected by the registered voters in the ward they seek to represent, while mayoral candidates run at-large citywide.
The council approved a resolution that scheduled the nonpartisan primary municipal election for Aug. 27.
A general election, if required, will be held on Nov. 5. Five candidates filed for the Ward 2 seat in 2021; Harris edged Mark Malone by five votes in the general election that year.
Each of the winners will serve a threeyear term, which will begin on Jan. 13, 2025. The City Charter limits Lawton city councilors to a maximum of three terms.
The mayor is paid $15,000 per year, and each of the eight council members receives $5,000 per year, the charter provides. “I figure our compensation averages out to about 52 cents an hour,” Harris quipped.