By Robert Barron Staff Writer
Enid voters Tuesday will choose between John Criner and Ron Johnston as their new mayor.
The winner will have his hands full. Enid officials are in the midst of determining how the city will pay for a new sewer treatment system, organizing a citywide cleanup effort and dealing with a newly formed employees union, which will have its first negotiation involving money next year.
Criner, retired manager of Hobby Lobby, said he has planned to run for mayor for many years. He started working on his campaign last summer. He thinks the city probably will have to deal with all of the issues facing it at the same time.
He said voters should elect him because he ran multi-million dollar businesses from 1967 to his retirement and knows how to set goals, stay on budget and use money wisely to make a profit.
“I’m not afraid to act. I’m only serving one term, and if someone gets angry, I’m not trying to get re-elected,” he said.
He has criticized the present city commission concerning its recent search for a city manager. Criner said he believes commissioners should have set a goal of where they wanted the city to be in four years and hired someone who had accomplished similar goals in the past.
His opponent, Ron Johnston, has served the past two years as city commissioner for Ward 1. Johnston has been a strong supporter of city employees’ efforts to form a union. Non-uniformed city workers now are represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. They will negotiate a contract involving finances next year.
Johnston is employed at GEFCO as a steelworker and is past president of United Steelworkers Union, local 4800.
When asked why voters should cast their ballots for him, he said one reason is “My experience being on the commission the past two years trying to improve our city service.”
“I feel that with that in hand I am better qualified to continue what we started. Also, I want to give city hall back to the citizens of Enid and make it more citizen friendly.
“Employees are treated better and the infrastructure is in better shape than it was two years ago,” he said.
His top priorities are building a new sewer treatment plant and continuing to build water wells to keep Enid’s water system ready. Johnston said the best way to build the sewer treatment plant may be a bond issue.
Rick Childs, an adult entertainment club owner, also filed for mayor but withdrew from the race in a matter of days; however, he withdrew too late for his name to be removed from the ballot.
