By JOHN STOWERS
Joe Parsons said that the fix for Alva’s financial problems might come in the form of the new arena and the money it would bring.
As the Alva mayoral race comes to a close on Tuesday, a lot of issues have come up during this campaign. One of those issues has been the city’s finances. Last year saw only 38% of the projected revenue coming into city hall, and the citizens of Alva had lots of questions.
Mayoral candidate Joe Parsons answered those questions in an interview Friday. Parsons said the reason for the discrepancy is because the city bases its projections only on last year’s sales tax collections, and sales tax fluctuates.
“Oklahoma is the only state in the nation that only gets sales tax and fees for services for general operations,” Parsons said. “When you’re dealing with sales tax as your funding mechanism, it’s never consistent because sales fluctuate.”
Joey Melton says Alva is the only place that is home after living in different states and some of the biggest cities in America.
Parsons was also asked about road conditions in town not having been improved even when there have been financial plans in place to fund those projects for several years.
“Yes, there’s a $5 street maintenance fee on utility bills that was put into place by the vote of the people … probably 15 years ago,” Parsons said. “Five dollars on every water meter does not add up to as much as people would think it would. You look at the cost to do a mile of asphalt; it’s just astronomical. So it’s not that the money for that isn’t being used on streets. …
“Also, something that the council has said is if there’s a street that needs to be replaced, and there’s waterlines underneath that street, we’re not going to replace that street until we replace those waterlines that need replaced too because it’s fiscally irresponsible to put a new street down and then a year later you’re ripping that street up to replace those waterlines. So, we want to make sure that we’re doing it in the right order. …
“I mean that’s $100 million worth of waterlines and streets that need to be done.”
Parsons was then asked if he thinks that the utility fees need to be higher in order to generate more revenue for the city.
“No,” Parsons said. “No, I’m not saying that at all. That’s not the answer. I think our utility bills are where they need to be,”
The mayoral election will take place on Feb. 10.
By OAKLEE FIELDER
Melton is running for mayor of Alva in the Tuesday election. Melton said his history and experience are his biggest strengths for his campaign.
The Melton family has been in Alva since before Oklahoma was a state, in 1895. Melton was born in the old hospital, which is now the Cherokee Strip Museum on 14th Street. He has lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Tampa Bay, Florida, but they didn’t feel like home.
“Nobody waved at anybody, nobody knew anybody,” Melton said. “At the end of the day, as beautiful as they were, it just wasn’t home.”
Melton grew up in Alva, where his family owned a business for generations. After his time away, he said he realized the small town means everything to him.
He raised a family in Alva, and his kids started families in Alva, continuing the long-lasting Melton name in Alva.
Melton said his favorite part of Alva is the fact that everybody knows everybody. With that, having good connections with all parts of Alva is incredibly important. Melton said he’s most connected with the working class of Alva, especially considering that he owns a business. With that said, he still feels connected with every class in Alva and enjoys helping them.
“I’m always right there strengthening my community wherever I can and helping people,” Melton said. “Growing up in a service industry, you just live to be of service; it just becomes a part of your DNA.”
Melton said he wishes the people of Alva were more involved in local government, although he understands the many reasons people are not involved.
“When you’re in your 20s, you’ve got a lot more on your mind than voting,” Melton said. “You’ve just got a lot more on your plate.”
Melton never aspired to become a politician. After working a full-time job and living as many people do, he said he has the knowledge and capabilities to be a good mayor for Alva. Melton doesn’t want to be mayor for an incredibly long time; he wants to serve four years and then leave.
Melton said he wants more businesspeople to play a hand in local politics. He said people with a business or a full-time working background are better qualified to be politicians than those who dedicate their lives to politics. Growing up in a family that owns a business has given him wisdom, learning lessons in many ways, good and bad, he said.
“I want to see other like-minded, accomplished and capable businesspeople to go ‘you know what, I want to put my four years in and make a difference,’” Melton said. “I think that would benefit the town in its entirety.”
One of Melton’s big goals is to change how the financial meetings are handled. Melton said he attempted to attend one but was not allowed. He thinks no matter how uncomfortable it is, they must be held in public.
“It’s important for the people because we’re just the stewards of their money,” Melton said. “It’s not our money, it’s not our equipment, it’s not our building down there. It’s the people’s, and we’re just the stewards of it.”
Melton said he sees a large gap between the city government and public input.
By BRAXTYN TURNER
A current candidate for mayor, has big ideas for the future of Alva; Brian Pharies, also known as ”Unc,” could be considered a celebrity on Northwestern’s campus.
“I guess you could say I’m the Donald Trump of Alva,” Pharies said,
Originally from Los Angeles, Pharies wrote for newspapers, skated roller derby and trained horses. It wasn’t until later in his life that he relocated to Alva to be closer to his relatives buried at Sacred Hearts Cemetery.
Now, Pharies has decided to run for mayor in the 2026 election.
When asked what he viewed to be the Top 3 priorities for him as mayor, he said, “Find out where the city’s budget has gone, fix waterlines and provide more transparency to the citizens of Alva.”
Transparency is the largest focus of Pharies’s campaign, and he emphasized the importance of having no “Yes men” throughout his potential term.
Continuing on, he shared his feelings toward the current leadership of the city, claiming there is a large amount of corruption throughout the community.
“I’m an outside influence,” Pharies said. “I’m not tied to anybody. … I don’t owe anybody in this city any favors, and I don’t want to owe anybody any favors. I will be a mayor that marches to the beat of my own drum and shows transparency. If you feel that my policy is wrong, please speak up.”
When discussing his leadership qualities, Pharies mentioned his drive to go the distance and his ability to make things happen. He emphasized that he would work relentlessly to change Alva for the better, mentioning things like bringing more and larger businesses into the city.
“I can sell ice to the Eskimos,” Pharies said. “I’m just that darn good … If I can just get into Gov. Stitt’s ear, even if I have to go to Donald Trump. If I can get that far, then I’ll be asking him for money and sell him on the great city of Alva that needs to be saved.”
He also brought up using the city’s budget to introduce more activities and events for residents, as well as NWOSU students, to gather at in the community.
When asked what success would look like for him at the end of his term as mayor, Pharies said, “I want to have brought in revenue, cut waste and have made Alva great again.”
The election to determine who wins the title of Alva mayor will be Tuesday. All registered voters who live within the city limits of Alva are eligible to vote