(Cushing, Okla.) Mayor Evert Rossiter announced on the Donna & Molly Show he will seek re-election to Seat #1 on the Cushing Board of Commissioners.
“I heard you all talking about the qualifications and I think I qualify,” Rossiter said with a laugh, referring to a recent announcement on the show listing the necessary requirements to be a candidate.
Rossiter called Tuesday to make the announcement and agreed to come on Wednesday’s show to talk about some of the reasons he would like to be re-elected.
“It takes a while to learn about everything and to get projects going,” he said. “I would like to be around to see some of them completed. We have a good team – city commissioners and city staff – working together for the good of the community.”
Rossiter said the question he is asked most frequently is when the new motel will open. “I’m not sure, but my best guess would be the first of the month.”
The question resembles one that Rossiter heard when he first became commissioner six years ago – “when are we going to get a hotel or motel?”
“It took a while and lots of meetings with commissioners and the City Manager, but now we aren’t going to have just one, we’re going to have two new motels,” he said.
Rossiter went on to say he had recently spoken with the gentleman building the Best Western on the corner of Main and Little and was told it has been upgraded to a five star facility.
“I’m not quite sure what that means,” Rossiter said, “but he seemed real excited – so I’m excited too!”
Something else on Rossiter’s “list” – completion of the new safety center. “The architect came by yesterday and I was able to meet with him and get a personal tour. Even though the walls aren’t all up, I could see how it’s all going to look. That’s going to be a phenomenal building.”
If all goes well with the construction schedule, Rossiter says it should be open sometime this summer.
As for future projects, Rossiter is passionate about improving Cushing Lake. “The commission has started a program on the city lake,” he said. “The lake is a project I want to see completed. I look at other lakes and to me, it is an embarrassment to see the condition of our lake. But I’m not going to lie to you – it’s going to take some money. People will have to decide how bad do they want a nice lake.”
Currently the Commission is having City Manager Steve Spears look for experts to provide information on the lake’s aquifer. Once information is gathered, Carey Seigle has offered to put together a citizen’s group to “think outside the box” in regard to the lake as an asset. (See “Commissioners Talk Asbestos Testing and Aquifer Study at Monday’s Meeting” story from Dec. 20, 2011)
Rossiter’s love for Cushing is apparent. “When I talk to mayors from other towns and tell them about all the amenities we have in Cushing, they’ll ask me ‘how do you get all those things in a town your size?’ – that’s when my chest sticks out – I’m so proud,” Rossiter said. “I have to thank everyone for all their support and I hope I can continue to serve the people of this community.”
The filing period for Seat 1 and Seat 2 is Feb. 6th – 8th from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in City Clerk Cindy Manning’s office located at City Hall. If more than two candidates file for each office, a primary election will be held March 6th. The general election is scheduled April 3rd.
The city charter gives the following qualifications for those seeking the office of city commissioner:
1. Must be at least 25 years old
2. Must be a qualified elector of the city.
3. Cannot be in litigation with the city nor in arrears for city taxes when elected, nor the owner of any stock or bonds of any public service corporation doing business under any franchise in the City of Cushing.
4. And, finally, must have been for one year next preceding election a bona fide resident of the City of Cushing or the territory legally annexed thereto.
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