Jim Spoon elected Sand Springs Mayor, Patty Dixon Vice-Mayor

Jim Spoon was elected as Mayor of Sand Springs at Monday evening’s City Council meeting, and Patty Dixon was elected as Vice-Mayor. The mostly ceremonial positions are elected from within the Council ranks, and none of the Council positions are paid.

Prior to the Mayoral elections, Dixon and outgoing Vice Mayor Phil Nollan were administered the Oath of Office for a new three-year term. Dixon won a February election for the Ward 2 seat 64 votes to 8, while Nollan ran unopposed.

Outgoing Mayor Mike Burdge decided to take a break from Mayoral duties. He has been on City Council since 1996, has served thirteen terms as Mayor, and six terms as Vice-Mayor.

The electoral process is a simple “yea” or “nay” vote on a single nominated candidate at a time. Council members aren’t allowed to discuss their potential votes outside of meetings, and aren’t allowed to take any informal polls of their peers.

Spoon was nominated to replace Burdge by Councilman Beau Wilson. Spoon has held the At-Large Council position since 2015. He has owned the Spoon Drug pharmaceutical chain for forty years, and is a twenty-year member of the Oklahoma Board of Pharmacy, appointed by multiple State Governors. He has previously served on the Sand Springs Board of Education, and was a founding member of the Sand Springs Education Foundation.

Spoon was elected six votes to one, with Nollan casting the sole “no” vote. Nollan later stated he was confused over the electoral process and expressed regret for his vote against Spoon.

Following Spoon’s nomination, Dixon addressed the Council regarding her opinions on the electoral process. Dixon stated she would like to see any Council members interested in being mayor or vice-mayor give a list of credentials and qualifications prior to any nominations in the future. She also gave her own background and expressed her willingness to serve in a more executive position.

Dixon previously held a Council position from 1990 to 1996, and returned to office in 2016. She has experience on the Parks Advisory Board, Museum Association, HEAL Committee, Sertoma Club, and Oklahoma Municipal League. She is retired from the Tulsa County Parks Department and co-owns Dixon Auto Glass with her husband. She is also heavily involved in the Sand Springs Community Theater.

Following Spoon’s election, Councilman Brian Jackson nominated Christine Hamner for Vice-Mayor, but Hamner declined the nomination and Jackson instead nominated Dixon. Dixon was unanimously elected to the position.

In Other News:

Daniel Bradley was presented with the 2019 John M. Hess Municipal Award for Outstanding Citizenship. Click here for more information.

Outgoing Mayor Mike Burdge proclaimed Municipal Clerks Week in appreciation of City Clerk Janice L. Almy and Deputy City Clerk Kristin S. Johnston.

A proposal by Jackson died without a second. Jackson proposed the instillation of a Masonic Cornerstone at the new Billie A. Hall Public Safety Center. The stone would have cost between $500-$1000 to install and would have enshrined the names of various City officials on the front of the building.