Commissioners say county needs water infrastructure; Wilk says industrial businesses
Growth and appropriately spending the people’s tax dollars were the main topics for the annual State of McClain County gathering in Goldsby on Tuesday, September 8.
Newcastle Chamber of Commerce worked with the Blanchard Chamber and the Heart of Oklahoma Chamber from Purcell to host the event, sponsored by OEC Fiber. County Commissioners Glen Murray and Wilson Lyles were the featured speakers, joined by area State Representative Jonathan Wilk (R-20).
Lyles said McClain County is the second fastest growing county in the state just behind Canadian County. He said there are now 51,600 people residing in McClain County, and growth continues throughout from north to south. Among future growth drivers are the turnpike extensions at Newcastle, and in Purcell and Goldsby.
Lyles said, “We don’t want to become that bedroom county, because a bedroom county costs a lot of money. You have to have something to support it.
“You have to bring business in. You have to have that tax base established to support the needs and the services that people need in today’s world.”
As they continue serving, the commissioners said they will work with the other county government agencies for the good of all.
“We are going to do our best from the commissioners’ table to watch the growth patterns, see where the needs may be, and stay in continuous contact and communication with our cities and towns,” Lyles said. “If we can support one another, it is a positive.”
Wilk said he and the county officials are concentrating efforts on infrastructure, especially water since it is a problem for communities in Mc-Clain County, but also education, public safety, and law enforcement.
He said the area needs to keep its people here and spending their money here, noting that locating industrial businesses in the area would help “give our constituents a place to call home.”
When asked how to make McClain County more competitive, Lyles said the area’s taxes were not out of align- MCCLAIN COUNTY on page 3
