2023 “If I Were Mayor” Essay Winners Announced
The Mayors’ Council of Oklahoma (MCO) and the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) recently announced the 2023 winners of the annual “If I Were Mayor” essay contest.
The essay contest provides an opportunity for 8th grade students from across Oklahoma to engage with their communities. The MCO asks that the Mayors in each community reach out to their 8th grade students to discuss the role that a Mayor has in municipal government, and the vital role that they have in leading a community.
The 2023 Winners are:
1st Place: Yadelin Mesta, Guymon Central Junior High School, Joshua Setzer, teacher, Kim Peterson, Mayor
2nd Place: A.J. Campbell, Warner Middle School, Shiloh Wiedel, teacher, Johnny Lewis, Mayor
3rd Place: Josie Chandler, Elgin Middle School, Jessica Smith, teacher, J.J. Francais, Mayor
In her winning essay, Yadelin Mesta spoke of the need for diverse job creation and providing more commercial buildings to increase tax collections. With an increase in local spending, there would be an increase in funding that could be used to improve infrastructure.
Second place winner, A.J. Campbell, stated in his essay that if he was mayor, he would focus on promoting growth within the community. He would promote growth by renovating and restoring buildings to increase tax revenue and create new jobs.
Josie Chandler, third place winner, focused on priority issues of public safety, sense of community and economic development. She wants to create a comprehensive crime prevention and emergency response system, a community action plan and working to create local incentives to encourage business growth.
“We would like to congratulate the winners of the 2023 “If I Were Mayor” Essay Contest,” said Craig Parham, Mayor of Amber, and MCO President. “We are grateful that so many students from across Oklahoma took the time to learn more about municipal government and participated in the essay contest. Citizens should be involved with their municipalities, and we hope this encourages students to engage with their local government.”
“Municipal government is the form of government closest to the people and our hope is that this essay contest will show young people that they can be involved and make a difference in their communities,” said Mike Fina, Executive Director of OML. “One of most important duties we have at the local level is to identify the next generation of municipal leaders, and this contest is a great introduction to local government.”
The Mayors' Council of Oklahoma was formed in 1991 as a bipartisan organization to represent the concerns and views of the body of the state’s Mayors. MCO provides a vehicle for the development and implementation of programs of multi-jurisdictional cooperation between cities and towns designed to lessen the burden on local government. Oklahoma Mayors make the commitment to work through the conference to improve their own communities as well as the conditions facing cities and towns throughout the state and nation.
The Oklahoma Municipal League is the authoritative source for information, training, and resources on effective local government for member organizations and is recognized as the unified voice of Oklahoma Cities and Towns. For more information, visit www.OML.org.
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