On Election Day Nov. 5, Lawton residents of Ward 2 will decide whether Shelli Fox or R.L. Smith will be their representative on the City Council.
Smith and Fox were the top two vote-getters in the Aug. 27 primary election.
Fox is a retired Lawton Police Department dispatcher and was among four contenders who lost to Kelly Harris in the Ward 2 City Council race three years ago.
Smith, a Realtor, is a veteran who served in the U.S. military for five years and came to Lawton in 1977. After serving as a military policeman, Smith was employed with the Lawton Police Department in 1984-2005.
The winner will serve a three-year term and will replace Harris, who is stepping down after one term on the council.
“Serving as the elected representative for Ward 2 for the last three years has been a privilege,” he told Southwest Ledger.
“All of the great things that are being accomplished are because we have a great team consisting of council members, the mayor, the city manager and clerk, and most importantly, a great staff who have bought into the concept that it’s all about the citizens. Under the leadership of Mayor Booker and with the management skills of City Manager John Ratliff, this council has made unprecedented improvements in many areas.
“I’m proud to have had a small part in making all this happen and will truly miss the interaction with my constituents. But there is a season for everything and it’s time for me to step aside to focus on other ventures.
“The two candidates who are in the running to replace me are both fine people who will continue the tradition that Ward 2 has had of excellent representation and dedication to the future of our community. I look forward to still being involved in making Lawton-Fort Sill the ‘destination of choice for young families’.”