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John Wright for Tulsa County Assessor

To shake my political writer's block, I'm starting my 2018 Oklahoma primary coverage with those candidates whom I wholeheartedly support. First on the list is John Wright. No one is better prepared than John Wright, in both temperament and professional experience, to serve as our County Assessor.

Posted by Michael Bates on June 10, 2018 11:46 PM

Montereau v. Ken Yazel: Leashing elected officials through deprivation of legal counsel

NOTE: Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel was on 1170 KFAQ with Pat Campbell and Eddie Huff at 7:35 a.m. Tuesday. UPDATE 2014/06/25: In an 8-1 decision today (Winchester dissenting), the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned the Court of Civil Appealsand remanded the property tax appeals to be considered on their merits....

Posted by Michael Bates on June 24, 2014 12:03 AM

Ken Yazel for Tulsa County Assessor

Several important elections will be settled in the June 24, 2014, Republican primary. Between now and then, I will be posting endorsements, starting with an enthusiastic recommendation that I can make without hesitation. Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel is one of those rare elected officials who has remained true to...

Posted by Michael Bates on June 13, 2014 1:34 AM

Pat Key, who puts obstacles in the way of public access to public information, is tired of budget transparency talk

Tulsa County Clerk Pat Key says she is tired of Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel's annual push for budget transparency. Yazel has repeatedly voted against the county's budget, saying it does not provide a complete accounting of all county revenues and expenditures. He made the same argument Monday, and again,...

Posted by Michael Bates on June 12, 2014 2:04 AM

Happy birthday, Ken Yazel!

Today is the birthday of Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel, and it seems as good a time as any to salute him for his hard work on behalf of Tulsa's taxpayers these past 12 years. Ken is running for re-election to a fourth four-year term, and I encourage you to...

Posted by Michael Bates on February 27, 2014 8:30 AM

Oklahoma Election 2012: No on State Question 758

There are six state questions on the November 6, 2012, general election ballot in Oklahoma. All of them are constitutional amendments, requiring a vote of the people, and all of them are legislative referenda -- questions initiated by the legislature, rather than by initiative petition. The state election board has...

Posted by Michael Bates on October 31, 2012 8:05 PM

Excise board rubber-stamps property tax hikes

While Oklahoma voters have closed off most avenues for tax hikes without a vote, there remains one loophole: the sinking fund. As Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel explains in the news release below, each taxing entity (a city, for example) presents the county excise board an estimate of the property...

Posted by Michael Bates on October 22, 2011 11:12 PM

Assessor Yazel plots plats; time-lapse picture of Tulsa growth

Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel has added a cool new feature to his office's already very useful website. It's a Google Maps application showing boundaries of Tulsa County subdivision plats filed between 2001 and 2010. A subdivision plat defines blocks, lots, and easements for streets and utilities. It establishes a...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 13, 2011 7:15 PM

That sinking (fund) feeling; will Bartlett Jr get a slush fund?

UPDATE 2011/04/04, 11:00 pm: HB 1992 did not come up for a vote today; it is on the Senate calendar for April 5. There's still time to call or email your state senator. My state senator, Gary Stanislawski, told me he plans to vote against HB 1992. UPDATE: HB 1992...

Posted by Michael Bates on April 4, 2011 12:52 AM

Money Belt RINOs back Nancy Bolzle

The clubby insiders are doing all they can to oust County Assessor Ken Yazel. It might be because he's the only county official who has opposed county tax increases for frivolities. It might be because he insists on assessing fair market value for everyone, even the very wealthy. It might...

Posted by Michael Bates on November 1, 2010 7:28 AM

Ken Yazel for County Assessor

While I'm supporting Republicans across the board, there are a few cases where the GOP candidate has done such a faithful job in serving the taxpayers and/or represents a significant improvement over his Democratic opponent, that I want to underline and emphasize my endorsement a hundred times over. One such...

Posted by Michael Bates on October 23, 2010 9:24 AM

Ken Yazel rebuts Cheryl Clay claims

Republican Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel has published on his website a detailed response to an attack mailer from his primary opponent, former County Assessor Cheryl Clay. Yazel says that Clay's statements are lies, and he rebuts each point at length. Some of the points made by Yazel in his...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 27, 2010 1:36 AM

Tulsa Area Republican Assembly endorses Yazel, Brumbaugh

The Tulsa Area Republican Assembly (TARA) is one of several local GOP clubs. They operate independently of the local party organization and hold monthly meetings that often feature elected officials or candidates as speakers. TARA is affiliated with the Oklahoma Republican Assembly (OKRA) and the National Federation of Republican Assemblies...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 20, 2010 9:58 PM