R.L. SMITH, City Council Ward 2

With more than 20 years of experience, R.L. Smith retired as a sergeant from Lawton Police Department in 2005. During his tenure, he was coordinator for Lawton’s Cops and Kids Picnic and Lawton Southside Youth Rally, and hosted Lawton’s Law Enforcement Day. He also worked with the Crime Prevention and Neighborhood Watch programs. Smith also served in the U.S. Army, joining in 1977 and while stationed at Fort Sill, met and married his wife of 46 years, Billie Hisle Smith. The couple has two children and six grandchildren. A realtor in the Lawton area, he is a member of the Lawton Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police and is active in Rotary Club of Greater Lawton. As an ordained minister, the couple founded The Marriage Connection and is cofounder and president for Meet the Needs Inc.

1. What role should the City Council play in economic development in the community? Why?

The City Council and mayor have to set policies that not only make room for free market growth but set Lawton apart from the rest of our great state. Whether it is quality of life, resilience of our infrastructure or pro-business policies, we need a City Council that will continually ask themselves: what is being done today to secure tomorrow’s future?

2. What are the biggest problems facing your ward and how would you handle them?

Much like the rest of the city, my ward suffers from aging parks and an outdated infrastructure. Lawton needs a long term plan to ensure that we don’t continue to put critical issues on the back burner. We also need to bolster our public safety funding and priorities — fire and police have to be a top priority from recruiting and retaining the best to listening their concerns on training and equipment.