The Oklahoma Municipal League recollections from
2012 article....
GEARY ~ OKLAHOMA
Mary Hays, Clerk Treasurer has been with the city for 23 years,
serving as clerk-treasurer since 1995. In addition to Ms. Hays, there are two or
three other ladies that work in the city hall office and when I was visiting,
city hall was abuzz with activity.
One of my fondest memories of Geary
was when my son was a high school wrestler and the “Geary Invitational
Tournament” was always a big event of the year. This tournament, known not only
in Oklahoma but throughout the country, was started by Bob Steagle, a former
wrestling coach, and still continues 67 years later. Schools from across
Oklahoma and even out-of-state schools from Arizona and Kansas participate each
year. Mary said that many of the former wrestlers have gone on to become coaches
in other schools and states and they all tend to return to the tournament each
year with their teams.
How can a city the size of Geary with 1,280
citizens host such an event, especially since they do not have any hotels/motels
in town? For Geary, that is an easy answer: visiting schools are housed in local
homes, churches, and even classrooms. Some families will host an entire wresting
team during this weekend. Many of the citizens of Geary turn out for the
tournament, a great indicator of how much of a generous, courteous, and friendly
community this is.
As you exit I-40 heading north towards Geary, there is
a Cherokee Restaurant that is in Geary corporate boundaries. This is the largest
generator of sales tax for the city. There used to also be a hotel connected to
the restaurant, but it burned down and existing water pressure is not adequate
to rebuild the hotel. All of that may be changing soon as the city just
completed a 12 inch water line out to the area, which was funded by a $1 million
dollar loan form OWRB. They are waiting for the final inspection.
Sadly,
Geary mayor Mitchell Paxton recently lost his battle to cancer and it was
obvious his absence is still being felt by those at city hall. Vice-mayor Leslie
Swinerton has stepped in to fill this position until a new election is held. She
happened to be at city hall when I was there and could have been easily mistaken
for one of the office staff, as she was at the copy machine, working away. We
had a nice visit and discussed many of the federal and state agency regulations
that affect cities and towns. I shared with her what OML is doing in this regard
and that we were hopeful for changes.
Mary was very appreciative to OML
for conducting the New Officials Institutes (NOI). As a long-time city
clerk-treasurer, she understands the need to be current on state laws and
regulations that affect municipal government. She is required to have training
as a clerk-treasurer and she said that it is very helpful for the new council to
also have this training. She noted that keeping them informed on things
happening legislatively was another valuable service OML provided for their
city. She also said she uses the inquiry department and other resources when
needed.
The first Oklahoman to receive a total artificial heart (bionic
heart) was from Geary. Troy Golden, who was a minister in town, had received a
mechanical artificial heart and was the first person who was able to leave the
hospital and come home for several months after receiving the heart. He has
since died but his story was very touching and inspirational.
In addition
to the Cherokee Restaurant, other sources of revenue include a couple of
restaurants, gas station that also services trucks and vehicles, and a Quick
Stop. A fairly new business in town, called the Plum Krazy Cottage, originally
began with the conversion of an old church into a hair salon. It has grown to
now include a craft store, nail and massage shop and ‘bistro’ that currently
operates three days a week during lunch and offers ‘healthy’ meals. A greenhouse
has also been added.
Geary has its own school system consisting of grades
Pre-K through 12, with approximately 400 students. They also own a park and pool
that opened for the summer on Memorial Day. The pool is old and is sometimes a
challenge to maintain. They were able to open on Memorial Day, which has not
always been the case because at times they have difficulty getting students
trained and certified to work as life guards.
The fire department is all
volunteer and consists of 13 members. Geary maintains a police department, with
a chief of police and five officers, along with six dispatchers (some are part
time). They hold municipal court one day a month and most offenses are traffic
related.
Mary was delightful to visit with and I am certain anything you
want to know about the town, she will have the answers. If you are in the area
or passing through stop by and say “hi.”
