OILTON, Okla. — At least 25 people crowded Oilton City Hall past capacity on Aug. 12 during a monthly city council meeting, with another dozen people sitting outside.
Feuds from past months between Mayor Pat Kennedy, Vice Mayor Julia Bagwell, and Chief of Police John Hefley reached a boiling point, among other reasons, over the city's dwindling revenue and diminished pay for police officers.
WATCH: After arguments, Oilton council keeps police chief despite mayor's effort
"I mean, that's half the reason you guys can't keep officers," one OPD officer told the council during discussion of an item to raise pay.
- Previous coverage>>> Former Oilton and Inola police officer charged in 2024 assault, 2019 rape
Then Item 8 in the meeting, brought by Mayor Kennedy, was to "discuss what Vice Mayor Julia Bagwell's role is" in the council. A heated argument between the two ensued, though no action was taken by the council.
"Do I need to read more here what your duty as a council member is?" Kennedy asked Bagwell.
"Do I need to read more in there of what your duty as a mayor is? Because you're supposed to lead the council meeting and you're supposed to do it with grace. Because you on the other hand damaged city property," Bagwell replied back.
Then the mayor called an executive session to discuss replacing Chief Hefley, much to the anger of many like Ashley Favalora.
"It's sad that we get good people in and we can't keep them," Favalora told 2 News. "There's a lot of power struggles and egos at play. And I'd just like to see it calm down and have a good influence on our town."
Many in attendance said they were tired of dealing with a revolving door of police chiefs and police controversy in the town over the years and feeling less safe as a result.
"It makes me a little concerned that someone else's opinion could affect my safety," Favalora said. "It's kind of crazy."
City council opened back up around 9:00 after about 75 minutes in executive session and voted to take no action on the chief's job, but did approve a "Performance Improvement Plan" for both Mayor Kennedy and Chief Hefley.
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