Tulsa Mayoral Candidates Debate Solutions For Homelessness, Juvenile Justice Reform Ahead Of Election

Tulsa voters will head to the polls in 35 days to choose the city’s next mayor.

News On 6 hosted a debate between the two candidates, State Representative Monroe Nichols and Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith. During the debate, the candidates answered nearly 20 questions covering topics such as homelessness, education, crime, leadership, streets, and tourism.

Both Nichols and Keith emphasized that addressing homelessness is a top priority.

“We think that for like $2.4 million, that in one year, we could get at least 200 families off of the streets,” said Keith. “It’s gonna be philanthropy, it’s the Tulsa Housing Authority, and the City of Tulsa. Everybody working together.”

Nichols also shared his plan for tackling the issue, aiming to end homelessness by 2030. "That strategy makes it so homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring and gets us to functional zero in six years," he said.

The candidates also discussed the challenges facing the Tulsa County Juvenile Justice Center, which has been marred by allegations of abuse by former employees.

“It has gotten so bad, the judge sent us a letter and said we don’t want to do this anymore. So, being the responsible people that we are, we have taken over the juvenile facility, and we have really turned the corner on this issue,” Keith said.

Nichols criticized the management of the facility.

“We’re talking about somebody who is going to protect 180,000 square miles when they couldn’t protect 150,000 square feet, and I think that’s a huge distinction between us."

If you missed the debate, you can watch the full hour on NewsOn6.com. Election Day is November 5.