Mayor leads final council meeting

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

Mayor Matt Dukes presided over his final Midwest City Council meeting last Tuesday evening, reflecting on a decade of service before retiring. Dukes, a former police officer, did not seek reelection and will be succeeded by Mayor-elect Rick Rice.

“Ten years ago, I first sat in this chair. I had no clue what I was doing,” Dukes said. “I was a cop for 31 years here in Midwest City, and I knew a little bit about municipal government. What I didn’t know is how much I didn’t know. I’m extremely proud of what this council has accomplished over the last 10 years. You can drive around Midwest City and look at the changes, and this was a team effort.”

Dukes took time to recognize city staff, praising their professionalism and dedication.

“Will you please stand up all the staff here that lift our employees?” he said. “This is just a fragment of the representation of the 500 employees that we have in the city of Midwest City, who come to work every day and put forth 100% effort to make the city a better place to live. It’s greatly appreciated by the council and everybody in service.”

He acknowledged the challenges of leadership.

“It’s been an honor to serve as your mayor for the last 10 years,” Duke said. “I wish I could stay here and say it’s all been fun. It hasn’t. There’s been times behind the scenes that you would never see.

We had spirited discussions about things, but never came to blows. The thing I’m most proud of is that we all had the same goal in mind: making our community a better place to live, safe, clean, and doing the best we can do.”

Dukes expressed gratitude to his council colleagues and longtime friends.

“I’ve been humbled serving as your mayor,” he said. “I appreciate the support I received across the board over the last 10 years. I appreciate Pat Byrne, my vice mayor, and the staff that has been great. I feel extremely comfortable handing the gavel over to a longtime friend of mine, Rick Rice, who I met when I first came on the police department. We’ve become very good friends, and I feel confident in his leadership.”

A formal “pass the gavel” ceremony will be held April 20, marking Dukes’ final day in office.

Dukes concluded by thanking the city manager and finance team for their service and leadership.

“Never did I think we would be hiring a new city manager during my tenure, but about three years into it, we did,” Duke said. “Tim Lyon, the city manager, is a financial wizard. TiaTia Cromer, our finance manager, is inseparable from him, and I thank you both for your service to our community.”