Oklahoma City’s mayor says MAPS panel does not need veto power

Oklahoma City is accepting resumes by e-mail from people interested in serving on the MAPS 3 oversight board. Those interested should send their information to maps3@okc.gov, including no more than two pages. Ultimately, the city council will decide how many members will be on the trust and who will be appointed.

Mayor Mick Cornett said he expects the board will include no more than nine members, with appointments coming from each of the city’s wards. Cornett said he is looking for two main qualities from board members.

"We are looking for people with time on their hands who are willing to get involved,” Cornett said. "You also want people who are enthused about the projects and the future of the city.”

Ward 5 Councilman Brian Walters, who opposed MAPS 3, said he hopes members are selected who have a critical eye and aren’t part of the "usual suspects,” including major business leaders who have served on such committees before.

Former Mayor Kirk Humphreys, who helped put together the MAPS for Kids Trust, said there is nothing wrong with leaning on people who are active in the community, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of good candidates who may have never served on a city board or committee before.

"I don’t buy that we need some normal people who don’t bring something to the party,” Humphreys said. "We need normal people who do bring something to the party. There are lots of people that are very knowledgeable who don’t have any conflicts. You need people who are going to be strong enough to ask the tough questions.”