Incumbent Newcastle City Council members Marci White and Tommy Clay refiled for their seats on the Council; however, they are the only filers so there will not be an election this term.
The City Council election was originally scheduled for April 4, but with no opposition, an election will not be necessary.
MARCI WHITE
White will continue to serve as the Ward No. 2 council member. She is a resident of 1244 NW 17th Street in Newcastle.
She was originally appointed to serve as a council member on August 12, 2019. She then ran for office in an election April 6, 2021, defeating opponent Patti Steen.
White said she came around to public service originally when she was a school teacher.
“When I first moved from Texas to Okahoma, and my fourth graders asked me who I voted for, I had to tell them the truth: that I had not registered,” White said.
She said she made a vow to never let that happen again.
“If I’m going to be upset and voice my opinion about something, I have to take part,” White said. I haven’t missed an election since then.”
White said she started getting involved in local politics by serving on the school board.
She was then appointed to the City Council seat she’s in. She finished that term, and decided that it had its ups and downs, and the decisions she was having to make at times weren’t always popular, but she said that is just part of being in the community and giving back.
Of importance, she said is that she is serving as the citizen’s voice to the City, and she is there to help hold the City accountable to its residents.
“I’m the voice for Ward II, and in the City in general,” White said.
She also wants the residents to know that it’s okay to disagree with others but still understand their point of view and respect their point of view.
She said there are five different people serving on the City Council and sometimes there can be five different opinions.
“I’m okay if I disagree with them sometimes,” White said.
She said she remembers a time when Newcastle was not in a good financial place, but the City and the Council did the work to get Newcastle in a good position.
Among her best Council memories is the recent groundbreaking ceremony for Fire Station #1. She is particularly proud that the City is in a good financial positions before the ground breaking took place. She said one of the most tasking projects of which she has been involved is the planning of the new wastewater treatment facility. She said when she came on the Council there were five different ways Newcastle could rebuild, and it’s now exciting to see the current proejct coming along.
“It is crucial for the infrastructure of the City that we have this new facility,” White said, adding that the City has about $4 million in grants that will help pay for the facility
“We would not be in the position we are in with finances with the cost of products going up if we didn’t save and prepare,” White said. “They worked hard over the years in case this happened. It would be a lot scarier with inflation and the increased costs if they had not prepared ahead of time.”
White also noted the new Animal Control facility. A ground breaking will be announced for it within the next week or two.
“Overall, our city leadership is great,” White said. “Kevin (Self) does an outstanding job as city manager.”
According to the City of Newcastle, White founded Redbud Telecom Consulting in July 2019 after several years with another company. Redbud contracts with healthcare providers across the U.S. to procure telemedicine circuits and FCC Universal Service Funding (FUSF).
She worked at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission with the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund (OUSF). White moved to the role of consultant in 2015 and was part of the Oklahoma telecom industry team that authored HB2616 in 2016, modernizing the OUSF statutes at the state level. She stays active with federal telecom issues as a member of the Schools, Healthcare, and Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB). White’s early career also includes several years in public education and IT sales account management.
TOMMY CLAY
Clay will continue to serve as the Ward No. 1 council member. He is a resident of 1901 S. Country Club Road in Newcastle, and will be serving his second four-year term. Clay previously served for two years after an appointment, and then ran for the seat, but lost to Jimmy Gurley by about 50 votes, he said. Gurley served but then stepped down and Clay was appointed by the City Council to serve the remainder of that term.
Clay said he would like to finish what the Council started with the infrastructure build from back in his very first term.
“We started the process of building a new wastewater treatment plant, and of course the fire station and the animal rescue facility. All this is important and vital to the community,” Clay said.
He added that he would like to continue in a fiscally conservative approach to the growth that is happening in Newcastle.
“I serve because I know how important it is to serve — someone with a business mind,” Clay said. “We have a lot going on, and we need to keep a vision for that.”
According to the City of Newcastle, Clay is the President and Owner of Ardor LLC. Ardor LLC has multiple subsidiaries, including Ardor Solutions OK, Ardor Solutions SE, and Ardor Consulting. These companies provide different facets of the Industrial Flooring spectrum on a nationwide scale.
Clay has been a leader in the polished concrete and industrial flooring industry for more than 15 years. A certified Master Craftsman and certified Teacher/Instructor, his focus has been on educating the industry and training a workforce that can help lift the industry through professionalism and craftsmanship.
Clay’s experience lies heavily in the management and training of others. In this role, he leverages experience from his time in the Marine Corps as a Radar Watch Supervisor, Senior Purchasing Manager for Dietrich Industries in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Senior Project manager with Advance Technology Coating in Oklahoma City.
Clay and White will now serve new four-year terms which will expire in April 2027.
