A year’s worth of planning and campaigning paid off for John Criner Tuesday as he outpolled City Commissioner Ron Johnston to win the mayor’s election.

Criner received 2,519 votes to Johnston’s 1,270 votes. Rick Childs received 105 votes. Childs filed for the race but dropped out too late to get his name taken off the ballot.

In Enid’s two city commission races, one winner was decided Tuesday and one won’t be known until an April 3 runoff. In Ward 1, Jim Crabbs and Bill Presley will square off in the runoff. In Ward 2, incumbent Don Rose won another term.

“I plan to continue what I have been doing, show up at study sessions and keep up-to-date,” Criner said.

He will take office in May. He has said he will serve just one four-year term.

Criner said he may take some days off and go somewhere with his wife after a year of hard work before he takes office in May. He said he wants to meet with City Manager Eric Benson and discuss some of the things he would like to accomplish as mayor.

“I want to develop a city where the citizens feel good about living here. That’s what I ran on and what I expect to do,” he said.

Criner said he had received a telephone call from representatives of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in Enid.

“I think I am going in with a good vote margin on a very bad day, and people will hold me accountable and that’s what they should do,” Criner said. “With the help of the other commissioners, we will move forward, treat everyone with respect and keep the community informed about what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Johnston said later in the evening he had called Criner with congratulations and told him he would back whatever Criner wants to do to make Enid a better city.

“I’m proud of what we did and proud of the way we ran the race. We both want the same thing, a better city of Enid,” Johnston said.

Johnston will remain Ward 1 commissioner until newly elected officials are sworn in.





Ward 1



In the race for Johnston’s replacement, Crabbs was less than excited about his five-vote lead over Presley. Crabbs led 387-382. Jim Butricks received 94 votes.

“A runoff is not what I had in mind, but we will continue. I’m a little disappointed but excited there’s two of us capable of doing this,” Crabbs said. “I guess I will go twice as hard. There are a lot of things we didn’t get done.”

Presley said he was hoping to get through without a runoff but will continue his campaign.

“We’ll probably try something a little different. I don’t know yet what it will be,” he said. “First, we will have to get some more money. I’ll knock on doors more.”





Ward 2



In Ward 2, Rose won re-election 480-183 over Pierce Jones.

Rose said he is looking forward to another term and having a couple of new faces on the commission. He said it will be nice to have Daron Rudy back again. Rudy was unopposed for the Ward 5 seat. He previously served as Ward 4 commissioner but was defeated. He has since moved into Ward 5.

“I will miss Ernie (Currier, current mayor) and John (Hodgden, current Ward 5 commissioner), but I am looking forward to it,” Rose said.

Rose was happy his son, Ok-lahoma State University student Hunt, returned to Enid Tuesday to vote for the first time in his life and cast a ballot for his father.

“I have the same goals as I had 31⁄2 years ago. I want to put money back into the city to go to streets, clean up, economic development. Those are things we want to do,” he said.

Rose said there are exciting issues on the horizon, like finding innovative ways to build a wastewater treatment plant.





Garber election



In Garber, a special election to increase city sales tax and use tax 1 percent was OK’d 69 to 44. Funds are dedicated to streets and infrastructure work.