Following the retirement celebration for Police Chief Gene Dodson, Mayor Brian Cathey called the business session to order, leading the council through a dense agenda during its July 2026 meeting. The council advanced a major infrastructure planning initiative, finalized an application for heavy machinery funding, and voted to join a national legal settlement.
City Reverses Course, Enters National Opioid Settlement The council voted unanimously to join the national opioid settlement class before the extended July 16 deadline.
City officials initially expressed skepticism because the specific financial allocation remains unknown and the usage guidelines are highly restrictive. Legal updates confirmed that Atoka was indeed included in a newly structured class for municipalities, correcting a previous misunderstanding regarding population thresholds.
