TULSA'S ELECTION HEADQUARTERS: Preview of Tuesday's mayoral forum

Leading in to Tuesday' mayoral forum featuring former Mayor Kathy Taylor and incumbent Mayor Dewey Bartlett, both candidates say they have a message they want voters to hear.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett told KRMG "what we see is we have two mayors, a former mayor and a current mayor, that have very understandable track records."

He says his record is a strong one, and he plans to highlight it during Tuesday's forum.

"I've had to deal with some very, very difficult situations, and we've dealt with them straightforwardly, aggressively, and succesfully," he said.

He added that he plans to stay on the job.

"When people elect somebody to run their city, they expect them to be there through thick and thin and perform, and to make certain things are okay. And they don't expect them to quit."

Former Mayor Kathy Taylor told KRMG that she didn't "quit" anything.

"I've never quit anything in my life. I completed my term, and with the city council's support, worked hard to cut almost $20 million out of the budget to hand Mayor Bartlett a balanced budget," she said.

She told KRMG her focus will be on the future, "my agenda to get the city back to the basics that the government is supposed to supply to Tulsans, and in a way that is efficient and accountable, and open and honest."

FORUM INFORMATION:

Cox Communications, FOX23, MY41 and NewsTalk KRMG will broadcast the 2013 Tulsa Mayoral Forum on Tuesday, October 22 at 7 p.m. The debate will air live on FM102.3 and AM740 NewsTalk KRMG, My41 and Cox Channels 3 and 703 .

FOX23’s Clay Loney and KRMG’s Dan Potter will serve as the moderators of the live hour long debate featuring Mayor Dewey Bartlett and former Mayor Kathy Taylor.

Questions will be taken from the public through text and social media prior to the live debate.  Viewers and listeners can visit Facebook.com/KRMGTulsa or text 95920 to submit their questions to the candidates.

The 2013 Tulsa Mayoral Forum will be hosted at the Cox Business Center at 100 Civic Center in downtown Tulsa.  The event is closed to the public, but you can win tickets by listening The KRMG Morning News with Dan Potter and The KRMG Evening News with Dick Loftin.  The Tulsa Mayoral Forum is sponsored by Cox Communications, FOX23, MY41 and NewsTalk KRMG.