In a room full of entrepreneurs, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell called for collaboration across industries and local governments to ensure growth for the state in the next eight years.
Pinnell highlighted Oklahoma’s growing appeal to Texans, emphasizing local infrastructure and industry when he spoke at the Oklahoma Technology Symposium run by Boyd Street Ventures on Friday.
“These aren’t sexy issues that show up in the paper a lot of times, but you talk to any city manager, you talk to any mayor, they’re going to talk to you about infrastructure,” Pinnell said.
Pinnell said that local investment in small towns like Durant and McAlester factored into success at a larger level.
Norman in particular was fortunate, he said, because of a dependable revenue source.
“Norman’s blessed, because we create a heck of a lot of sales tax on a lot of Saturday afternoons, right? But a lot of communities I go to, a lot of small spots, very small rural towns are dying on the vine because they’re not creating sales tax revenue fast enough to operate their communities. That’s a conversation that our legislature has to have,” Pinnell said.
He said taxes factored into municipal ability to repair and expand infrastructure, and that while funding can be a challenge, it is possible to help small towns without raising property taxes.
“You want to touch property taxes? I don’t want to touch property taxes either, but you got county commissioners that are making very difficult decisions every month of the year on: Do I pave this road, or am I going to have to turn it back into gravel?” Pinnell said.
While he does not want to raise property taxes in Oklahoma to Texas levels, Pinnell emphasized the rainy day fund as a possible solution for these rural representatives.
“Don’t tell me that we can’t create a revolving fund down at the state Capitol with a half a billion dollars sitting in it to help Durant with their problem, to help McAlester with their problem, to help Norman with their problem. We absolutely can and should be having that conversation,” he said.
Oklahoma already appeals to Texans who move here and bring their students to the University of Oklahoma who stay and become part of the workforce, he said.
“More Texans moved to Oklahoma last year than Oklahomans that moved to Texas,” Pinnell said.
Pinnell said there is a push for technological innovation, particularly within the energy sector. He said Oklahoma already holds a strong footing in the oil and gas sector, but growth opportunities lie in green energy.
“We should be a new energy state from wind, solar, hydrogen, I would say data centers. We take more phone calls from companies again, because we’re affordable, not cheap,” he said.