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Mayor backs Daniel McClure as council weighs city attorney hires
Summary
Mayor Tommy Ray Walker recommended Daniel McClure for city attorney, noting McClurespecializes in municipal law and offers a $675 three-hour flat fee with $225 hourly after; councilors agreed to interview McClure and two other local candidates before making a hiring decision.
Mayor Tommy Ray Walker on Monday recommended Daniel McClure as the City of Krebsnext city attorney, telling council members McClure "all he does is municipalities" and that the candidate charges a flat $675 for three hours and $225 per hour thereafter.
The recommendation came during a special meeting called to discuss filling the city attorney role. Walker said he searched for a candidate across McAlester, Tulsa and Oklahoma City and that McClurehas served as a municipal attorney and prosecutor for multiple towns. Council member David Bailey said, "There's no question about his qualifications. They're outstanding," while City Clerk Cindy J. Cooper confirmed the firm would not bill separately for secretarial services.
Why it matters: The council needs a city attorney to review contracts and sign legal documents, and to provide prosecutorial support for municipal court when required. Walker said McClurewould handle routine attendance by Zoom and come in person for special matters, which the mayor said would be efficient and could save the city money compared with the prior attorney.
Councilors probed logistics and local impact. David Bailey asked whether McClure would prosecute cases in person; Walker and Cooper said regular court appearances could be handled by Zoom and that the attorney would come on-site for trials or special circumstances. Police Chief Dennis Cook said staff consults attorneys frequently and that the department sometimes uses counsel "daily, sometimes multiple times a day," underlining the need for reliable attorney access.
Council members also discussed two other potential local candidates, Ronnie May and Michael (Mike) Miller. Bailey said May is a "fantastic lawyer" with local experience and noted that being local is a plus. Walker flagged a past, unresolved issue involving Miller related to a drug-court fund that "nobody will talk about," adding, "I'm not saying he did anything wrong," language he used in the meeting to indicate the matter had not been clarified.
No hiring decision or vote was taken. Instead, Clerk Cindy Cooper agreed to schedule separate interviews with each candidate before the council's next regular meeting; Walker said he would try to arrange a combined interview day. The council also discussed cost comparisons, with Walker saying the McClure proposal would likely save the city compared with the prior attorney, whom Walker said charged more than $2,000 and was difficult to reach.
Next steps: Cooper will contact the candidates to arrange interviews; the council expects to discuss and possibly act at the next meeting or a special meeting scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m., depending on interview timing.
