But I didn’t know that would happen…

If you have kids, you have probably heard them say that after some aftermath. A few months ago, my oldest climbed on the counter and in the process broke the kitchen cabinet, which in turn shattered several glasses. When I asked her why she climbed on the counter in the first place she said, “I didn’t know that would happen!”

When I listen to Councilor Bill Christiansen, or read his quotes in the Tulsa World, concerning the Downtown assessment mess, I can almost imagine him in my kitchen surrounded by broken glass saying, “I didn’t know this would happen!”

Last year, Bill Christiansen, along 5 other Councilors did not seem too concerned with the consequences of their actions when they let Mayor Taylor pressure them in to approving a new downtown assessment that would tax property owners 6.5 cents per square foot. Previously it was anywhere from 3.5 cents to one 0.01cents per square foot. The vast majority of this increase, which for some property owners is 64,900% greater than the previous assessment, goes to fund the new downtown baseball ballpark. They did not seem too concerned about the impact it would have on some owners, and they definitely were not concerned about making sure that the process for protesting the increase was fair. Otherwise, one assumes that they would not have passed it.

Almost a year later, it turns out that the only place left for property owners who have not already done so, to protest this assessment is in district court. Moreover, according to the Mayor’s office, the Council has no authority to adjust the fees to reflect perceived benefit of the ballpark. This is at odds with the opinion of the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office. The AG, said that the Council could indeed adjust the assessment as long as the property owner had filed a proper protest before the April hearing on the assessment.

Here is what Councilor Christiansen has to say about this.

“…philosophically, I think going to court for a small businessman is a big issue. It's expensive." He called it, "a shame."

“…all of a sudden at the 11th hour they were told, 'Oh, no, it was this way and if you want to appeal now you can go to district court.' I don't agree with that. It's just not the American way.”

"It almost feels like taxation without representation, I don't see how we can totally disavow or say we disagree with the attorney general's analysis and just go down the road."

Can you hear him…can you see little Billy in my kitchen surrounded by glass saying, “But I didn’t know this would happen!!!”

I’m sorry Councilor, but you should have been a leader when the Council first voted on this assessment. Of course, it is my position that you should have voted no based on sheer conservative principals against raising taxes for private benefit. However, assuming that you do not have those principals, you should have at least performed your due diligence and ensured that the protest process was finalized to your satisfaction before voting yes on the Mayor’s assessment.

Aside from the citizens exercising their right to vote her out of office, the Council is the only check and balance to the Mayor. It is the Council’s duty to flush out such things before passing something as weighty as a 64,900% increase on a downtown assessment on the citizens of Tulsa. To complain now is sad and pathetic. Moreover, the very idea that Councilor Christiansen is thinking about running for Mayor now after this fiasco is insulting and scary.

Tulsa’s Mayor has a lot of power, and the person that sits behind that desk on the top floor of the One Technology Center needs to be a strong leader, one who makes the tough calls, and flushes out all the details before making important decisions. We do not need a follower that stands in the Council chambers complaining that they cannot see past the next action they will take.