By Carol Mowdy Bond
Contributing Writer
Aric L. Gilliland and Ken Wilkins, both candidates for the Ward 4 City Council seat, attended last Friday’s Yukon Chamber of Commerce Community Coffee at 10 W Main.
Yukon Mayor Mike McEachern is stepping down from his Ward 4 seat due to Yukon City Council term limits. Ward 4 residents will go to the polls on Tuesday, Feb. 11 to choose a new city council member.
The winner will take office in May.
- Aric L. Gilliland, 41, is a teacher at Epic Charter School. He owns Gilliland Landscape and Christmas to Remember live tree and wreath delivery service. Gilliland also is head coach of the Yukon Rugby Club.
- Ken Wilkins, 60, has owned Archery Traditions of Oklahoma in Yukon for five years. Archery Traditions was last year’s Yukon Chamber of Commerce “Small Business of the Year.”
The Yukon City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Centennial Building, 12 S 5th. Meetings are open to allow for public input.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Yukon is comprised of 26.3 square miles. Yukon is divided into four geographical wards, plus one at-large ward. Of those, Ward 4 is Yukon’s largest geographical ward.
Registered voters who want to find out if they live in Ward 4 should:
- Go to the home page on yukonok.gov
- Scroll down to the map on the home page
- Click on ‘Visit The Map’
- Click on Agree
- Click Next
- Click Next a second time
- Click Next a third time
- Click Finish
- Click Themes in the top right corner
- Turn on the Ward 4 button on the right
Residents will be able to navigate and figure out whether or not their address is in Ward 4. Only registered Ward 4 voters will be able to cast ballots in the Feb. 11th election.
ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL
Yukon has a non-partisan, council-manager government, which includes a five-member city council. Each ward is represented by an elected city council member who is elected by residents living in that ward. Members serve four-year terms.
Yukon’s city charter sets term limits, allowing city council members to only two consecutive terms in office.
Every year, the city council elects a mayor. Yukon’s mayor and members of the city council have the authority to set policy in Yukon.
The council will elect a new mayor in May to succeed McEachern since he could not seek another term.
The mayor and city council appoint a city manager who serves as Yukon’s chief administrative officer. Jim Crosby is Yukon’s city manager.
Other Yukon City Council members are: Rick Cacini – Ward 1, Shelli Selby – Ward 2, Donna Yanda – Ward 3, and Jeff V. Wootton – at-large.
Yanda, whose current term expires this year, was the only candidate who filed for the Ward 3 seat. So, Yanda will continue for another four-year term without an election needed.
