Bixby city charter amendments

City of Bixby voters have two charter amendments on the June 16, 2026, ballot. Proposition No. 1 modifies the qualifications for the City Manager. Proposition No. 2 moves any financial responsibilities from the City Clerk to the City Treasurer.

The Bixby City Council voted unanimously on March 23, 2026, to advance these two charter amendments to the ballot.

Proposition No. 1 is the charter amendment in Ordinance No. 2550:

Section 3.2 Minimum Qualifications

The city manager shall have a bachelor's degree in public administration or related field from an accredited university be appointed by the city council solely on the basis of education and experience and without regard for political affiliation. Actual experience as a city manager or as an assistant city manager is preferred.

Proposition No. 2 is the charter amendment in Ordinance No. 2551:

Section 4.1 - Department of City Clerk: City Clerk

(a) There shall be a department of the city clerk, the head of which shall be the city clerk. The city clerk shall maintain an accounting system for the city government; and shall sign all checks and be responsible for the disbursement of all money; shall determine the regularity and correctness of all bills, invoices, payrolls, and other evidences of claims, demands or charges against the city government and audit and approve them before payment attend all meetings of the City Council, shall keep the journal of its proceedings, and shall enroll in a book kept for such purpose all ordinances and resolutions passed by the City Council. The city clerk shall be custodian of such documents, records, and archives as may be provided by applicable law. The city clerk shall be the custodian of the seal of the City and shall attest, and affix the seal to, documents when required by applicable law.

(b) The city clerk, as such, does not collect revenue for the city except as may be incidental to his duties as city clerk; in all cases where the law or ordinances provide that money shall be paid to the city clerk, it shall be paid instead to the city treasurer as city treasurer. The city clerk shall have no authority over collecting, custody, accounting, auditing, or disbursement of any city funds. All such authority is vested in the city treasurer.

(c) The city clerk shall perform other duties as described in this charter or as the City Council or the city manager may assign.

Section 4.3 - Department Of Finance: City Treasurer

There shall be a department of finance, the head of which shall be the city treasurer. The city manager shall interview and make recommendation to the council for its approval. Subject to and in accordance with this charter, applicable law and such ordinances and other policies as the council may adopt, the city treasurer or personnel under his supervision and control shall collect or receive all revenue and other money for the city; shall be responsible for its custody, safekeeping, deposit, and disbursement; shall maintain a general accounting system for the city government; shall determine the regularity and correctness of all bills, invoices, payrolls, and other evidences of claims, demands or charges against the city government and audit and approve them before payment, and shall have such other powers and duties consistent with this charter as may be prescribed by ordinance or applicable law or as the City Council or the city manager may assign. Reference to city treasurer shall be deemed to mean the director of finance unless the council by ordinance creates a separate office of city treasurer within the department of finance.

Bixby has been in the news lately. City Manager Joey Wiedel was arrested on May 25 and charged with aggravated DUI. According to Fox23, he had previously pled guilty and received a one-year suspended sentence after an August 2025 arrest. He has been suspended from his duties, with Police Chief Todd Blish serving as acting City Manager. A few days later Mayor Brad Girard resigned as both mayor and city councilor.

Wiedel's charges don't show up in OSCN because he was charged by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The lack of unified court records for Oklahoma is just more damage done by the two systems of justice created by the McGirt ruling. KJRH has Joey Wiedel's most recent arrest affidavit.

Proposition No. 1 seems to be doing two things at once. It eliminates a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration as a requirement to serve as City Manager while restricting the discretion of the City Council to include "political affiliation" as a consideration in their decision to hire a City Manager. Wiedel, who previously served as City of Bixby fire chief, does not list a college degree in the "Education" section of his LinkedIn profile, which lists only "National Fire Academy/ OSU/ CLEET." I have no inside information, but I wonder if this proposed charter amendment was tailored to allow Wiedel to continue to serve as City Manager and to insulate him from removal should the composition of the City Council change. "Political affiliation" isn't necessarily limited to political party registration and could be stretched to include alignment with a local political faction.

Proposition No. 2 makes some sense as a way of mitigating financial risk. It's possible that having the City Clerk oversee disbursements was identified by an auditor as a source of potential loss of control. Or perhaps there was an incident. (If you know more, please email me at blog at batesline dot com.)

Still, with the current turmoil at Bixby City Hall which has come to light since the propositions were approved for the ballot, my inclination, were I a Bixby voter, would be to say NO now, elect an outsider to the City Council and revisit these proposals with a full public discussion.

It's notable that the City of Bixby's website conspicuously advertises a General Obligation Bond Issue (property tax increase) vote scheduled for August 25, but there's no mention anywhere on the home page or on the news page.