Board approves ordinance to have county run Hochatown elections, effective on publication

The Hochatown Board of Trustees voted to adopt Ordinance No. 12, amending the town code so that town officers and ballot measures will be decided through elections run by the county election board rather than under the Oklahoma Town Meeting Act. The board amended the proposed effective date to make the ordinance effective upon publication and approved the amended measure by roll-call vote.

Town legal counsel walked trustees through the practical implications, saying the town would have to follow the county nd state election calendar, plan further in advance for ballot items and observe candidate-filing deadlines. "We just need to get that language in the motion so that I have the publication of the ordinance," the town attorney said during the discussion, and added that staff would coordinate with the county election board on paperwork and deadlines.

Supporters on the board argued the town has reached a point in its growth to benefit from county-run elections that provide longer voting windows and formalized advertising and ballot administration. Trustees noted that opting out can be reversed later if the board chooses. The attorney advised that some timing choices would affect whether the county could administer the next trustee election.

The ordinance language adopted directs staff to publish the ordinance and transmit the necessary documentation to the McCurtain County election board. For the record, trustees stressed that the town originally used the town-meeting process to allow nimble action during its early formation — including swift action on lodging taxes — and that the change reflects a different stage of municipal operations.

Next steps: town staff will finalize publication, file the ordinance with the county election board, and coordinate specific election dates and candidate-filing windows as required by state law.