Native Lawtonian and former City Councilman George Gill is seeking election to the Comanche County Board of Commissioners, District 1, because, “I believe I can bridge the gap” between the county, the city, and the State of Oklahoma.
“This is something we need to do because Comanche County needs to work with the city, and we need some help from the state on several programs,” he said. “This hasn’t been done in the past, and our county really needs help from the state because we’re in extremely poor financial condition.”
Comanche County is the fifth largest in Oklahoma, yet has a budget of only $12 million, Gill noted.
One reason is because the county has 5,237 totally disabled military veterans who qualify for a 100% property tax exemption on their homestead, Excise Board Chairman J.P. Richard said. Only Oklahoma County has more military veterans than Comanche County, “maybe 200 or 300 more,” he said.
As of Feb. 27, homes owned by those100% disabled veterans had a fair cash value of $1.22 billion. Their tax exemptions cost Comanche County $12.2 million as of June 30, 2025, and collectively $86.19 million from 2006 through 2024, County Assessor Grant Edwards told The Constitution.
The Oklahoma Tax Commission reimburses Comanche County for only 12.5% of those exemptions, Edwards said. Last year the reimbursement was $1,819,427.
Another pressing issue is county road funding.
According to the state Transportation Department, Comanche County has 1,279.36 miles of county roads (as of July 2024), for which it received $5.9 million in tax revenue. That amounted to $4,626.39 for maintenance of each of those road miles.
That was $2 more per road mile than was allocated to Ellis County – which has 1,278.89 road miles and a population of 3,601.
In comparison, Comanche County had a population of 121,396 (estimated 2024). But unlike Ellis County – or any other county in Oklahoma – Comanche County has a national wildlife refuge that attracts visitors from throughout the country, a state prison where more than 2,500 inmates are incarcerated, and an active U.S. Army artillery post that functions as a major basic training center.
Those people travel on Comanche County roads to visit attractions and explore the area. District 1 alone has 663 miles of roads.
Garvin County had an estimated population of 26,149 in 2024 – only 21.5% as many residents as Comanche County – and almost 225 fewer miles of county roads. But because of its oil and gas production, Garvin County received $10.88 million in road funding.
“We need some help to resolve many of our immediate problems, including roads and other infrastructure problems – and in just running the county government day-to-day,” Gill said.
“Things I can bring to the table,” he said, include “knowledge from working with the city government and experience in construction.” Gill has been a general contractor and developer for 55 years.
The Lawton High School graduate said he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a degree in military science, a bachelor’s degree in math, and did advanced studies in engineering.
While in school he was in ROTC for four years, served three years on active duty in the Army as an artillery officer, and then four more years in the Army Reserve.
Gill said he “kept up with politics as a hobby” during his lifetime, “helped in political campaigns, worked on political platforms,” and “helped on the staffs of different governors over the years.”
Lawton and Comanche County are home, Gill said. “I see the problems and I’m not going to complain about them. I’m going to run for office so I can do something about them.”