If residents of rural Comanche County ever wonder why their road is rutted or a bridge is dilapidated, they might want to call their state legislators — who control the state’s purse strings and established the county road funding mechanism.
That formula is why Grady County, which has a population of 58,350 and 1,481.88 county road miles, received $23.8 million in state tax revenue for county road maintenance — four cents shy of $16,066 per mile — in fiscal year 2023.
In comparison, Comanche County has 121,396 residents — more than double the population of Grady County — and 1,279.36 miles of county roads, or 202.5 fewer county road miles than Grady County has.
Yet in FY2023, Comanche County received $5.9 million in state funding – one-fourth as much in total dollars – and $4,626.39 per mile — just under 29% as much in dollars per mile — as Grady County received.
Similarly, Kingfisher County has 15,800 residents and 1,544 road miles, but, because of its oil and gas production activity, received $18.985 million — $12,296 per road mile — in FY2023.
“If a county with a population of less than 16,000 people receives almost $19 million for road maintenance, how is it reasonable for a county with 120,000 people — and higher traffic demands — to get only $4,600 per road mile?” Comanche County District 3 Commissioner Josh Powers asked.
The population figures are July 1, 2024, estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau (the latest numbers available), and the county road miles are calculated by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
“The primary issue with county road funding is that the formula places too much weight on oil and gas production while not giving sufficient consideration to other factors that significantly increase traffic on county roads,” Powers told The Lawton Constitution.
Comanche County has not only twice as many residents as Grady County, and almost eight times as many as Kingfisher County, it has an Army post, heavy industry, a federal wildlife refuge that attracts visitors from throughout the U.S., and a prison where more than 2,500 inmates are incarcerated, many of whom are visited regularly by relatives and friends.
Fort Sill, “beyond being an active post,” functions as a major basic-training center, “bringing in new families and visitors almost every week,” Powers noted. “They travel our roads to attend graduations, visit attractions, and explore the area — all of which we’re proud to host.
“Yet none of these factors is recognized in the road funding formula, even though we must maintain the infrastructure to support them.”
Comanche County Commissioner Ryan John said his crews were able to resurface less than 14 miles of the 663 miles of county roads in his District 1 last year. Some of his largest expenses are labor, oil and aggregate materials, he said.
Increasing funding for county maintenance and operations accounts “would help offset the rising costs associated with dayto- day operations,” John said, “including materials, fuel, and maintenance.” John said that besides the road funding formula, “I would strongly encourage additional investment in county bridge infrastructure. Bigger allocations to the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) program “would significantly enhance our ability to address critical bridge repairs and replacements,” John said. The cost of bridge construction and repair “has risen substantially in recent years due to escalating material prices, engineering requirements, and regulatory standards.” The oil and gas exploration/ production industry “has strong lobbying power, and that has shaped the system we have today,” Powers said. “But Comanche County is in a unique position compared to other counties. I don’t think there’s another county in Oklahoma that has a federal wildlife refuge, a major military installation, a large industrial park, a prison, and a population exceeding 100,000.”