Appointed Councilmember Robert Bruce and Cullen Bieger are vying for Norman City Council’s Ward 3 seat in the Feb. 10 municipal election.
Ward 3 is the western-most ward, covering the area west of Interstate 35 except for some areas spanning from Robinson Street to Franklin Road, and north to the city limits around Indian Hills Road.
City council members are normally elected every two years, with former Ward 3 council member Bree Montoya being reelected last February. Montoya resigned in October after screenshots of harmful comments surfaced from her social media account.
The elected candidate will serve until July 6, 2027, completing Montoya’s two-year term.
Early voting opens Thursday and Friday. Oklahoma residents can visit the OK Voter Portal to find sample ballots and their designated polling location.
Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce is the current Ward 3 council member and a United States Air Force veteran. He has lived in Norman for 23 years.
Bruce retired from the Air Force in December 2007 as a lieutenant colonel and commander of the 72 Contracting Squadron stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. He continued to work at Tinker in civil service for 18 years before retiring last year.
Council appointed Bruce to the Ward 3 seat in October following Montoya’s resignation.
Ward 3 candidate Robert Bruce during the League of Women Voters forum on Jan. 21.
Bruce did not coordinate an interview with OU Daily in time for publication.
In January, Bruce spoke with Norman voters about multiple issues at a League of Women Voters of Norman forum. During the meeting, he said his work on council is now a full-time job and that he has been working over 45 hours per week.
“I’ve served in many different positions, in many different areas, and I wanted to bring that talent to sitting here on this council, …” Bruce said last month. “I’m just a common sense guy, I mean, you boil it down to basics, I’m a common sense guy who will act for Ward 3 residents and residents of Norman.”
Bruce said last month he considers his work on council a continuation of his public service. He asked residents to reflect on his performance as a council member and as a public servant.
“My life has been all about service, and I'll keep working hard for you day in and day out, 24/7, 365, …” Bruce said. “I’ll bring the same discipline I've had for 40 years of transparency, respect that has guided me for all those years, and the decades of public service is really what Norman needs and I’m here for that.”
Cullen Bieger
Cullen Bieger has worked in information technology for over 20 years. He has lived in Norman for nearly 40 years.
Bieger said he has grown frustrated with politics and the IT sector, prompting his decision to run for the Ward 3 seat.
“I don't feel like the public is adequately represented by those people in office now,” Bieger said. “I don't feel like our senators, our representatives, or to some extent, even our councilmen, really stay engaged with the community, and I think that's very important.”
Ward 3 candidate Cullen Bieger Jan. 29.
Bieger said he hopes to become a state senator before running for U.S. Congress. He added he wants to instill a sense of community in Norman and invited residents to contact him via his website.
“I want to help to bring about some changes in the world. I think the best place to start is right here in Norman, where I live,” Bieger said.
Candidates responded to topics important to residents including homelessness in Norman, the entertainment district, Norman Regional Hospital and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Homelessness
Bruce said he supports letting Norman residents vote on a permanent homeless shelter.
“It’s such an important decision on the way forward as far as what direction and whether to build and own a shelter or facilitate nonprofit involvement, …” Bruce said. “I want to see the maximum amount of people out to vote for it so we can get the true direction of what Norman wants for the future of providing this critical service.”
He said he fully supports residents in need and will approach issues with research and data.
Bieger said he supports a permanent, city-operated homeless shelter. He said charities are at risk of losing funding, meaning the city cannot always count on them.
“While (charities) are great, and I don't want to discount the wonderful things that they do for the community, I think it's important for a city to take responsibility for itself and the persons within its area and to make sure that everybody has their needs met,” Bieger said.
Bieger said the shelter location being considered by residents in April is the best possible site, citing the area’s proximity to services like Red Rock Behavioral Health Services. The proposed site is also located near Food and Shelter on Reed Avenue.
He said he understands some residents in the area may see the shelter as inconvenient, but asked for empathy for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“If you live in that region, that may not be ideal for you, and I totally understand that,” Bieger said. “However, I feel that some empathy is needed for your common man, and having those people located there will allow them to be close to the ancillary services that they need … without having to traverse from one side of town to the other.”
Bieger also said he’d like to see more community services for those who can’t afford them, such as adding trained counselors to the city’s first responder staff. He said individuals experiencing homelessness require assistance instead of arrest.
Rock Creek Entertainment District
On Tuesday, The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled the gist of the petition to send the Rock Creek entertainment district to a public vote was insufficient, and the project will move forward as originally planned.
Bruce wrote in a Facebook post before Tuesday’s ruling that he supports a public vote on the Rock Creek Entertainment District tax increment financing, or TIF, districts.
Bieger, who the Daily interviewed before the Supreme Court’s decision, said he believes a TIF model is not an efficient way to fund the project.
“One of the things that many people don't realize is that by consuming the taxes for that area for up to 25 years, we're taking away a significant amount of money that would otherwise be allocated to our local public schools,” Bieger said.
Norman City Council approved two TIFs in September 2024, which dedicate 100% of sales and use tax and ad valorem tax generated in the area to the Rock Creek Entertainment District project’s costs for up to 25 years.
Norman residents petitioned for a public vote the following month, gathering the required number of signatures. The petition was challenged and ruled insufficient in the Cleveland County district court and the Oklahoma Supreme Court after petitioners appealed.
Bieger compared the funding mechanism to a credit card and said there are better ways to fund the project. He also said he’s uncertain the city’s infrastructure could accommodate the district and the traffic it might create.
More information on the entertainment district, including a timeline of events, can be found on the OU Daily website.
ICE
At the League of Women Voters forum, candidates were asked what they would do if the city were asked to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Bruce questioned if the city would have a choice.
“Laws make a civil society, so whatever the law says regarding supporting ICE … do we have a choice until it’s written differently?” Bruce said.
Bieger said he is uncertain about how the city should interact with ICE.
“I'm concerned that working with them is not necessarily the right approach, but I'm also concerned that not working with them will cost not just our city, but potentially our state, based on the things that our national government has said,” Bieger said.
He said Norman residents, including council, should peacefully protest unlawful acts committed by ICE.
“I absolutely don't support the idea of some of the things I've seen in the news that are happening, where children are being detained, things like that. It's terrifying to me, … “ Bieger said. “It's not appropriate for people to lose the sanctity and privacy of their own home and have homes invaded without a proper search warrant. Adherence to the rule of law is a big deal to me. No one is above the law, ever.”
Norman Regional Hospital
Bieger said the Norman Regional Hospital requires more focus from the city. He said the city should prioritize essential services above other expenditures, referencing the TIF district.
“Norman Regional Hospital is suffering. It's not doing well, fiscally. … OU has asked for us to create a new arena for them because their old one is not working, …” Bieger said. “We can't afford to pay for all the things, and we have needs as a community of our own, and medical services is a big need that we have, especially for our youth.”
In June, Norman Regional Health System announced it laid off around 10% of its workforce. In February 2025 the Norman Regional Hospital Authority Board reported large operating losses greater than budgeted projections.
In 2024, Moody’s Ratings, a bond credit rating business, reported the health system had $328 million in outstanding debt and listed the health system’s revenue bonds rating as “significant credit risk.”
Bruce did not coordinate an interview with the Daily before publication. The Daily was also unable to find Bruce’s stance on the Norman Regional Hospital online. Bruce did not speak about the issue during the League of Women Voters forum.
Turnpike
Bieger said the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s planned South Extension turnpike in East Norman will eventually impact Ward 3, as it could deter business from the area.
He suggested a “closed feedback loop” could help to find a solution, where council would reach out to state legislators or others who could provide more information or authority.
“If they can't find a solution for us, then we just keep going up the chain, and at some point it feeds back, and it comes back down to me to give information back to my constituents,” Bieger said.
Two turnpikes are planned for Norman as part of the OTA’s ACCESS Oklahoma project: the East-West Connector and the South Extension. The South Extension has been rerouted twice in the past year with the latest planned route reportedly impacting around 75 homes.
Bruce did not coordinate an interview with the Daily before publication. The Daily was also unable to find Bruce’s stance on the South Extension turnpike online. Bruce did not speak about the issue during the League of Women Voters forum.
A timeline of ACCESS Oklahoma’s development, including the city’s responses to the plans in East Norman, can be found on the OU Daily’s website.
Communication
Bruce said he is very accessible and wants to hear from Ward 3 Norman residents and residents in other wards as well during the League of Women Voters of Norman forum.
Bieger said he wants to be transparent by communicating with constituents and encouraged them to speak with him. He said he would hold weekly updates that residents could participate in.
He apologized to Norman residents for missing last month’s League of Women Voters of Norman city council candidate forum, adding he had personal obligations during the forum time.
This story was edited by Macey Thaxton, Natalie Armour and Audrey McClour. Andrew Paredes, Andrew Higgins and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
