In his final state of the city address, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett praised the community and city government for their successes during his tenure.
"I am happy to report without hesitation that our city is strong, vibrant, alive, unique and financially solvent," Bartlett said.
Bartlett began his 35 minute speech by commending activists and police for peacefully and thoughtfully responding to the fatal police shooting of Terence Crutcher. He then said his office hasn't ignored social issues, going over the four public safety forums his office hosted.
Bartlett has also signed an executive order to remove questions about criminal records from city job applications.
"I am proud that Tulsa is the first city in Oklahoma to ban the box and give people a second chance," Bartlett said.
Looking back to his first day in office, Bartlett said the city has come a long way since the height of the national recession, moving from near insolvency to a stronger financial footing today. He said the recent renewal of the Vision sales tax package puts Tulsa on track to achieve goals that have been talked about for decades, such as putting water in the river.
Bartlett praised the educational partnerships the city has established during his time in office that will continue under G.T. Bynum. He also applauded the city's overall response to an efficiency study. The city decided not to privatize its water system, as the study recommended, but it did privatize the zoo, Gilcrease Museum and airport.
Though Bartlett had many successes to go over, there are still some unknowns.
Local officials have pushed for the Tulsa Air National Guard Base to be the home of the new F-35 fighter jet. That decision has not yet been made. Bartlett said it could bring more than $100 million in new economic development to the area.
Tulsa and other Oklahoma cities are still trying to diversify their tax bases, an issue Bartlett said they were making progress on at last year's state of the city address.
