By Mindy Ragan Wood | Transcript Staff Writer May 2, 2021
May 2, 2021
The selection committee for the Ward 2 seat on Wednesday will interview five candidates for the position, none of whom ran for the seat in the February election.
Jay Wendorff and John Argo, two of the candidates in Februaryâs race, were not selected for interviews.
Wendorff received 42.74% of the vote against Matt McGarryâs 51.32% and John Argoâs 5.24% in the February election for the seat. McGarry resigned in March to take a teaching position with an Ivy League university, The Transcript reported.
Aleisha Karjala, chair of the Ward 2 selection committee, said all she can share âis that the committee chose the best five from the applicant pool to interview.â
By Mindy Ragan Wood | Transcript Staff Writer May 2, 2021
May 2, 2021
The selection committee for the Ward 2 seat on Wednesday will interview five candidates for the position, none of whom ran for the seat in the February election.
Jay Wendorff and John Argo, two of the candidates in Februaryâs race, were not selected for interviews.
Wendorff received 42.74% of the vote against Matt McGarryâs 51.32% and John Argoâs 5.24% in the February election for the seat. McGarry resigned in March to take a teaching position with an Ivy League university, The Transcript reported.
Aleisha Karjala, chair of the Ward 2 selection committee, said all she can share âis that the committee chose the best five from the applicant pool to interview.â
Apr 25, 2021
The City of Norman received 10 applications for the interim Ward 2 seat, which has been vacant twice in one year.
At least two candidates applied for the second time, and two were candidates who vied for the seat during the February special election. The application window closed Friday.
The seat became vacant after the death of newly-elected David Perry in August 2020, and the resignation of Matt McGarry this March.
A committee will review the applications and make a nomination to the council. The nomination will be subject to council approval.
The committee includes former Ward 2 Councilors Joe Carter, Aleisha Karjala and Richard Stawicki, Britton Perry â son of former Ward 2 Councilor David Perry â and non-voting member Ward 4 Councilor Lee Hall.
After two vacancies in one year, nearly a dozen new and former candidates applied for the Norman City Councilâs interim Ward 2 seat.Â
The Ward 2 carousel began after the sudden death of former Ward 2 councilmember David Perry last August. The seat was filled by a city council appointee and former Ward 2 councilmember, Joe Carter, who did not seek permanent election in the February 2021 election.Â
OU Russian Professor Matt McGarry won the February election with 51.34 percent of the vote, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. McGarry resigned the following month to accept a job offer at an Ivy League institution, prompting another vacancy.Â
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Protesters interrupt the Norman City Council chambers on June 9, 2020, in the hopes of hearing the discussion on defunding the Norman Police. Council will re-vote on the budget Tuesday.
Protesters hold signs during a City Council meeting, Tuesday, June 16, 2020, at Norman City Hall. (Kyle Phillips / The Transcript)
Two local groups are making their voices heard to the Norman City Council and advocating different outcomes for a vote on the Norman Police Department budget.
The Norman Collective for Racial Justice, formerly the Norman Citizens for Racial Justice, submitted an open letter to the council and Mayor Breea Clark asking them to uphold their decision from June 16, 2020 to reallocate $865,000 from the NPDâs proposed budget increase to community programs.