GREENWELL

David Greenwell, 56, is a certified public accountant and partner at Cole & Reed P.C. Greenwell said he hopes to represent Ward 5 in “a manner that allows it to be represented well and with integrity and be able to be a positive force in the continued development in Oklahoma City.” Greenwell said, if elected, he would work to ensure that Ward 5 got its share of capital investments.

Greenwell said he would bring issues of public safety to the table, and make sure the city works with businesses to streamline the inspection and regulation process for existing, new and expanding businesses.

“Job creation is very important to the city,” Greenwell said, adding that he wanted to see “what can we do to increase jobs here in Oklahoma City, provide better opportunities for the citizens and allow our child and grandchild to remain in Oklahoma City.”

Greenwell said his work as a CPA would give him an edge in making sure the city is accountable for spending and capital projects, as well as his interest for the betterment of the city.

Greenwell said he hopes to bring accountability to the MAPS 3 projects, should he be elected.

Much of Greenwell’s campaign is self-financed. However, the challenger has received maximum donations of $5,000 from Chesapeake Energy’s political action committee as well as Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon.

Greenwell is one of four candidates who got maximum donations from Chesapeake’s Political Action Committee, as well as McClendon. The other three are Ward 8 incumbent Patrick Ryan, Ward 2 candidate Charles Swinton and Ward 6 incumbent Meg Salyer.

WALTERS

Brian Walters, 35, the Ward 5 incumbent, said he works as a controller in the construction industry.

Walters, who has operated optical stores in Oklahoma City, said he’s a strong voice for south OKC and that there is more work that needs to be done, such as completing construction on South Western Avenue and the construction of a new police station.

Walters said he has remained true to the positions he advocated when elected four years ago. He said he has brought attention to important issues that would otherwise be overlooked.

“As about the only real conservative on the council, I need to stay so the conservative electorate has a voice down there,” Walters said. “I have a proven track record. Four years ago, I told the voters who I was and exactly what I believed it. And for four years, no matter the pressure put on me, I was that guy.”

Walters said because he was councilman during the 2007 bond issue and the MAPS 3 project, he already knows the ropes and, if re-elected, will continue strict oversight of the projects.

Walters said his dissenting vote on MAPS 3 was because of concerns with accountability, since the ballot measure did not specifically allocate the money to different projects. While he likes many of the aspects of MAPS 3, he is not as enamored with other issues, such as the downtown streetcar project, which he called a “bad mistake.”

“There’s not much in the way of accountability,” Walters said. “That’s why I need to be there, so that someone who knows what’s going on can watch out and make sure these things are held accountable.”

Last summer, Walters enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard and missed six meetings during basic training, according the city.

Walters’ campaign received $5,000 maximum donations from both police and fire organizations, records show.

View a Ward 5 map.

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