Council grants consent for Councilman Tyler Brown to attend FBI National Academy; charter attendance rules discussed

The Pryor Creek City Council voted May 20 to consent to Councilman Tyler Brown’s absence to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, a multi-week training program that runs from late June through early September 2025. The council’s consent allows Brown to exceed the city charter’s 90-day attendance provision while he attends the program for employment-related training.

Why it matters: The council’s consent prevents an automatic vacancy that could occur under the charter or state law if an elected member misses more than the permitted number of meetings. Council members discussed legal limits under the city charter and Title 11 O.S. §8108 during the meeting.

Discussion and council action: Brown told the council he had been accepted to the FBI National Academy and estimated he would miss five regularly scheduled council meetings between late June and early September. Council members reviewed the city charter attendance provision and state statute provisions that could result in removal if a member misses more than half the meetings in a consecutive four-month period. Council members noted special meetings can affect the attendance count and that state law ultimately governs vacancy rules.

After debate about the appropriate mechanism, the council voted to give consent for Brown’s absence for the purposes of employment training. Brown abstained from the vote; the remainder of the council recorded affirmative votes. The council directed the city attorney to draft formal language for the consent and to file the consent in the minutes.

The council’s action preserves Brown’s seat for the training period and directs staff to document the consent formally in council records.