The Daily O’Collegian

One OSU student has set his sights on Stillwater’s highest office — and said he promises to mix things up

An OSU student said he hopes Stillwater residents will continue the recent trend of voting for change by electing him as Stillwater’s next mayor.

Nathan Bates, a health education junior, said he has a three-part platform that will focus on bringing more business to Stillwater, fixing the city’s water supply and improving the overall quality of life for Stillwater residents.

“We’ve got a ton of potential in this city, but I think it’s being overlooked because people are electing mayors who are satisfied with the status quo,” Bates said.

Members of the National League of Cities and National Municipal League said they haven’t noticed a trend in younger people seeking municipal and political offices.

Emily Kirby, a senior researcher at the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, said young-voter turnout has increased in each of the past three presidential elections.

Kirby said issues are becoming more pertinent to youth voters, and elections are becoming highly contested events. She said these events possibly could prompt younger people to pursue careers in municipalities and politics.

The dates for the 2009 nonpartisan-mayoral election still are not set, according to the Payne County Election Board.

The city must file a resolution by Jan. 1 to set the election dates, which will be either March 3 or April 17.

Potential candidates must file for the candidacy between Feb. 2 and Feb. 4 in the Payne County Election Board office. The deadline for voter registration is 24 days before the election.

Bates, a 26-year-old registered Republican, said Stillwater has great potential for economic growth. He said Stillwater has a large spending base, but the city usually is brushed aside when prospective businesses are looking to open.

It’s the mayor’s job to sell the city to these businesses such as Target, Best Buy and Ultimate Electronics, Bates said.

“People shouldn’t have to drive 60 miles to Oklahoma City to do their Christmas shopping; they should be able to do it here in Stillwater,” Bates said. “It helps the Stillwater community.”

Bates said he wants to fix the old deteriorating pipe that supplies water to Stillwater. He said the cost to fix the pipe is astronomical and the problem should have been addressed within the past 20 years.

“People depend on water for everything,” Bates said. “You have to wash your clothes, you have to wash your dishes, prepare your food and wash yourself. Those are just basic things — if that doesn’t get fixed and we lose the water supply, the city is going to die.”

He said the third part of his campaign is to increase the overall quality of life for Stillwater residents. Bates said he would like to start a program to address teen pregnancy and also have code enforcements for off-campus student housing.

“Having sub-par living conditions for any student is ridiculous,” he said. “The fact that some students will live in a slum doesn’t mean they should have to. They do it because it’s cheap and it’s the only place they can live.”

He also said bringing more business to Stillwater would decrease utility costs. The way the city generates revenue is by sales taxes and utility costs, Bates said. A penny tax on items such as alcohol or tobacco also could help lower utility costs, he said.

The mayor does not receive a salary, according to the Stillwater city charter. The mayor is paid $100 for each regular meeting of the board of commissioners they attend, according to the document. No other compensation or salary shall be paid other than direct out-of-pocket expenses incurred while actually performing Stillwater business, according to the document.

The mayor is the head of city government and doesn’t have regular administrative duties except for signing city documents as the commission may require, according to the document.

Bates served as a public affairs officer in the Navy before coming to OSU. He said the experience allowed him to meet with important leaders, including President George W. Bush.

The mayor is the city’s figurehead, Bates said.

“It’s their job to represent the people,” he said. “My job in the Navy was to be a public representative for the Navy. My job as the mayor would be to publicly represent Stillwater. I believe I’ve been prepared well in terms of knowing how to interact with people all over.”

Bates said he has a political action committee that includes a manager, treasurer and an OSU campus representative.

Firyuza Babayeva, an international studies graduate student who is serving as campaign treasurer, said she will eventually be in charge of all the financial matters of the campaign including payments, budgeting and transactions.

Babayeva said she has worked for the United Nations Development Program in Turkmenistan as a financial and administrative assistant.

Babayeva said Bates has feasible plans to make Stillwater a better community for both its residents and the OSU students who live here.

“He’s got a good understanding of the issues the town has and offers the most sustainable solutions to them,” she said.

Bates’ plans also piqued the interest of Jim Trent, whom Bates eventually named campaign manager.

Trent, who has lived in Stillwater for about 10 years, said he has always been an active volunteer in political campaigns. Trent said he was excited to hear Bates’ ideas for the city.

Trent said Bates is used to representing government entities in a public manner from his work in the Navy.

Trent labeled Bates as a “change” candidate who is young, vibrant, energetic and enthusiastic.

“There’s a raw energy about Nate,” Trent said. “When you talk to him, he gets very, very excited about the city and about what he wants to do and how he wants to help people.”

He said Bates brings an energy that has been absent from American politics for about 20 years.

“He’s got that spirit of people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and really dive in energetically into the problems that are facing the government and community and deal with them instead of just sitting in an office,” Trent said. “He is definitely not status quo — he is a breath of fresh air to Stillwater politics.”

Bates served as a senator in the OSU Student Government Association last year and eventually became the audits chairman, which allowed him to hold student groups accountable in how they spent their allocated student fee money.

Fellow SGA senators noticed Bates’ leadership within the organization, including Budget Chairman Michael Gumbs.

“Nate Bates is a sharp individual and hard worker, and him having served in the military really gave him an edge as a student leader,” Gumbs said. “I think as mayor, Nate could do some good, but there is also an incumbent mayor in Roger McMillian who is liked in Stillwater.”

Gumbs said he wants the best candidate available for mayor.

“I guess we’ll see who brings their best game,” Gumbs said.

Bates said a political undercurrent exists in the U.S. that wants fresh ideas and new innovations. Obama ran on that campaign, and people listened to him, he said.

“That’s what I’m going do,” Bates said. “I’m going to bring change to Stillwater. I’m going to bring in that new business that everyone wants. I’m going to fix the water supply that’s sorely in need and I’m going to increase the quality of life.”