Mayor Chuck Hall

1.         Personal Information and Background.

Hon. Charles R. (Chuck) Hall is a fourth generation descendant of a pioneer family that  settled in Perry, Oklahoma, during the Cherokee Strip Land Run of September 16, 1893.    Everyone in Perry calls him “Chuck,” and we are sure he would be glad for you to use that nick-name also.  He is the third generation of a banking family, the legacy of which spans over 130 years. 

Mayor Hall graduated from Perry High School in the class of 1985, and continues to be very active in the alumni association.  He attended Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, OK.  He went on to East Central University as a member of the college golf team while studying communications.  He and his wife Amy were married in 1994.  Amy has been an educator for Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Perry Public Schools.  Today, she is proudly responsible for raising their three daughters - Ashley, Sydney and Riley.

Prior to entering his banking career, Chuck spent four years as Director of Government Relations for the Oklahoma Bankers Association, representing 98% of Oklahoma’s banks as a registered lobbyist at our State and National Capitols.  He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Exchange Bank & Trust Company of Perry for the past 14 years.  He was recently appointed Chief Executive Officer for Perry operations, and also serves as Project Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the newly completed Exchange Bank of Stillwater, Oklahoma.

In 1995 Chuck was appointed to fill an unexpired term as Perry’s City Treasurer, and was elected un-opposed to a full, 4 year term in 1997.  In 2001, Chuck was elected to a 4 year term on the Perry City Council.   For the next three years he continued to serve as Chairman of the Perry Municipal Hospital Trust Authority, then served two more years as Hospital Finance Chairman.  During this period he was also a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Perry Information Network, the local television service.  In April, 2007, he was elected to a 4 year term as Perry’s first mayor under its new council/manager form of government.  He continues in that position today.

In 1999 Chuck was selected to the Leadership Oklahoma Class XIII, and later served that organization as Board Member, Endowment Chairman, Vice President of Finance, Speaker’s Bureau, and as a member of the Executive Director Search Committee.

In what little spare time this schedule permits, Chuck owns and operates a rodeo arena in Perry specializing in roping and barrel racing timed events.  Being an avid roper, Chuck and his young girls regularly compete in roping and barrel racing events throughout the Southwest, from San Antonio, TX, to Perry, OK, to Las Vegas, NV, during spring and summer months.  

2.         Contributions Significant to the Development of the City of Perry; 

Mayor Hall has continued a long and very supportive life and career promoting and improving the quality of life of all Perry residents.  When first appointed to the position of Treasurer of the City of Perry, he converted the City’s long-hand, ledger based bookkeeping system to a computer accounting system that continues to operate today.  As a member of the Perry City Council, he helped to structure and pass a $10 Million water infrastructure program that will satisfactorily provide for Perry’s water needs for decades. 

Since his election as Mayor, Mayor Hall has established an outstanding record of accomplishments including:

• After inheriting a dysfunctional finance system that had not undergone a successful audit for two years prior to his election, he outsourced the City’s financial management.  As a result, Perry has received two unqualified annual audits, and will be among the first cities to complete the 2007/08 FY audit.

• He was the strongest proponent and spokesperson of a vote renewing and increasing the .5% Street Sales Tax to 1% by an amazing voter approval rate of 84+%.

• A $50,000 REAP grant financed the Renovation of CCC Lake Park, originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the depths of the Great Depression in 1935.  Tasks included re-building a rock waterfall, resurfacing all roads, construction of 2 new picnic pavilions, restoration of a log and rock wishing well, rebuild both foot and traffic bridges of log and stone, rebuild and restored a foot and equestrian trail system, cleared a 50 year accumulation of green-briar, scrub oak and cedar trees, disposing of 10,000 cubic yards of slash

• A pioneer church was relocated to CCC Lake Park and completely refurbished.  It is now available for weddings, family gatherings, and religious services.

• CCC Lake Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 8, 2008. 

• Raised community donations and spearheaded construction of the $150,000 Dawn to Dusk Skate Park project that had languished for years.

• Presided over construction of an 80 room Holiday Inn Express in the City’s Commercial Park, now 85% complete, and soon to be ready for occupancy.

• Negotiated the sale of property in the Perry Commercial Park for a 60 room Comfort Inn Motel.  

• Negotiated a franchise extension for SuddenLink Cable TV that brought the system to a much improved and expanded level of service.

• Completed a $250,000 CDBG Grant for the Leo Park Sewer Project.

• Continued planning and engineering for downtown sidewalk replacement.

• On June 13^th the Mayor hosted an Employee Family Picnic at CCC Lake Park to show his appreciation to all City employees and their families for their positive response to his leadership.

This amazing record of accomplishment demonstrates the interest, commitment and leadership Mayor Chuck Hall invests in Perry’s future quality of life.  And most remarkably, all of this has been accomplished in the few short months of Mayor Hall’s tenure, leaving both City employees and citizens breathless!

3.         Accomplishments in the community:       

Mayor Hall has served in and supported virtually every community organization in Perry.  Over the past 20 years local memberships, board positions, and volunteer work also include: President of the Perry Development Group, LLC.; Chairman of the Perry Economic Development Authority; Perry Chamber of Commerce, Board Member; Main Street of Perry, Board Member; Noble county Family YMCA, Board Member; Perry School Board Technology Committee Member; Perry Golf and Country Club, Board Member; Chairman of the Perry Housing Authority; and a United Fund Board Member, and the list goes on.  He attends the Perry First Baptist Church, and is scheduled to travel on a dental mission to Niger, Nigeria, in December, 2008.        

4.         Dedication to Office:

Chuck Hall’s life is a tribute to dedication, not only to his office, but to his family, faith, business, city, region and state, as evidenced by his broad record of involvement, service and achievement.   He is first to arrive and last to leave religious, social, business, and celebratory gatherings.  In all of his many community commitments and responsibilities he is always prepared, studied, and well informed on the subject matter or issue at hand.  He makes himself available for public appearances, speaking to church groups, local Lions, Rotary and other service clubs, Senior Citizens and Perry Public School students.  He authors a regular column in the Perry Daily Journal Newspaper explaining the activities, projects and programs of Perry’s City Government.  He also frequently serves as Government Relations moderator for political debates and forums on local television, and hosts a weekly Legislative Report by elected representatives when the legislatures are in session.

Mayor Hall is always available, whether required by a major city problem or a small complaint by a Perry citizen.  All citizens receive the same courteous response no matter who they are, or what their problem may be.  Mayor Charles R. Hall is the most positive and effective official it has ever been our pleasure to serve and to work with as evidenced by the exceedingly high morale of city employees and staff.

5.         Other Areas of Service and Recognition.

            Board Member – Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority
            Government Relations Council Member – Oklahoma Bankers Association
            Community Bank Council Member – The American Bankers Association
            Board Member – The Oklahoma Council for Excellence