Last week, our good friend Mayor Mick Cornett announced he will not seek another term as Oklahoma City mayor and / or spokesman for the Taco Bell Fresco menu. I guess he's ready to move on with life and make some actual money.
Here are the basic details via KOCO.com:
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election when his fourth term as mayor expires in the spring of 2018.
“I still love the job as much as I ever have,” said Mayor Cornett. “And that makes it a difficult decision. I look forward to this final year in office knowing we have several more milestones to reach.”
Cornett became Oklahoma City’s Mayor on March 2, 2004. He is the city’s longest-serving mayor and is currently the longest-serving mayor in the country among the 50 largest cities in the United States.
Cornett is scheduled to leave office in April 2018.
I don't agree with Mayor Cornett on everything. Remember the time he blocked the lingerie football league from expanding here? That was prude. He voted with Meanie Meg Salyer to block panhandlers on medians. That was rude. He also overplays flush draws in weak position, messes up Final Ogle at TLO Trivia Night and is all buddy-buddy with the local ruling elite. I guess nobody is perfect.
That being said, I'm on board with the general consensus he should go down as one of the best, if not greatest, mayors in Oklahoma City history. You can criticize his ruling class allegiances or attempt to downplay his role in the whole OKC Renaissance, but you can't argue that this city's inner-core has experienced a massive transformation under his watch. The city's image and reputation has improved exponentially! We now have NBA basketball, a downtown where people live and work, and now instead of choosing which chain restaurant row you want to hit up on N. Memorial or 1-240, you can pick from a variety of gentrified districts with plenty of craft beer and artisanal cheese.