Private group raises money for new Oklahoma governor's residence

A private foundation has raised more than $6 million to build a residence for future Oklahoma governors and their families, under a plan that calls for the current mansion near the state Capitol to be used for official meetings and special events, according to Gov. Kevin Stitt and people involved in the project.

Talks about building a new home on the mansion grounds predate Stitt’s inauguration in 2019 and grew out of concerns about the cost of renovating the century-old structure.

Stitt told reporters on Wednesday that he and his family — who lived only temporarily in the mansion — would not live in the new residence if he wins a second term next month.

“It will not benefit Governor Stitt,” he said.

The foundation, Friends of the Mansion, is expected to announce plans for the residence after the Nov. 8 election. The foundation was created in 1995 by former Gov. Frank Keating and former first lady Cathy Keating to pay for renovations and additions.

The new residence is envisioned for land behind the current mansion. Plans would have to be approved by two zoning commissions that oversee the area near the Capitol.

An Oklahoma City television station, KFOR, reported this week that the executive director of Friends of the Mansion foundation asked board members to sign a non-disclosure agreement in February 2020, to ensure the plan was kept secret.

The Oklahoman could not confirm that such a request was made, and Carly Atchison, a spokeswoman, said she had no information about it.

Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said Wednesday, “There are no taxpayer dollars being used and the nonprofit working to raise private funds has done the same work for decades for that property. There is nothing secret or improper about that nonprofit doing what it has always done.”

Bob Ross, president and CEO of the Inasmuch Foundation in Oklahoma City, said Wednesday that he was one of many volunteers “raising money from a broad group of Oklahoma corporations, citizens and foundations for the nonprofit Friends of the Mansion to ensure our state has a beautiful campus for its First Families for the next 100 years. I believe in the mission and am proud to be a part of the efforts underway.”

Keating, who served eight years as governor, beginning in 1995, launched a private fundraising campaign during his tenure to build a dome on the state Capitol. He and his wife created the mansion foundation to raise money for improvements to the building. The foundation came under fire at the outset from some Democrats for being secretive.

In a column in The Oklahoman in 1995, Cathy Keating said, “When Gov. Frank Keating and I arrived at the mansion on Jan. 9, there were a total of 10 pieces of furniture in this 14,000-square-foot house. The roof leaked. Plaster was crumbling from ceilings and walls. The gas stove in the kitchen was unvented and hazardous. Two fireplaces were designated unsafe. Tile was falling off the bathroom walls.”

She wrote, “We set out to raise money from foundations, individuals and corporations to finance the repair and restoration effort. We also asked for limited public funds to pay for major structural repairs, including a new roof and air conditioning. By the time we're through, we will have completed a major restoration. Friends of the Mansion will be a permanent nonprofit organization concerned with preserving the mansion.”

The foundation ultimately released the names of donors to that first restoration project. The major donors to the dome project are on a plaque in the Capitol.

The mansion foundation’s tax returns from 2020, 2019 and 2018 do not list donors. Stitt took office in 2019.

The 2020 return shows first lady Sarah Stitt was the chair of the foundation that year, and the group raised $1.5 million, compared to $326,529 in 2019 and $245,500 in 2018.

The foundation reported total assets valued at $2.2 million at the end of 2020.

Atchison said Wednesday that more than $6 million has been raised for the new residence.

Gov. David Walters, who served before Keating, and governors who have served subsequently have made improvements to the mansion, though it still had numerous problems.

A construction company estimate prepared in 2015, during Gov. Mary Fallin’s administration, had a cost of $4.2 million for renovating the current mansion. That estimate excluded some anticipated costs.

The Legislature appropriated about $2 million for repairs that were made before Stitt and his family moved in. The family spent less than three years in the mansion and moved to a home in Edmond last year.

Stitt on Wednesday called the mansion “amazing” and said he uses it for meetings. But he said it was not compliant with the American for Disabilities Act. He said he and his family don't live in the mansion "for our personal reasons." The Stitts have six children, though not all live at home full time.

State Rep. Andy Fugate, a Del City Democrat, said Stitt and the foundation should have been open at the outset about raising money for the project and should be transparent now about donors “because the last thing we want is, you know, folks buying influence or, you know, charging top rate for things that they would normally provide for a discount, for instance.”

Fugate also said the state established a “ceremonial place” for the governor to live, and “it’s intended for the governor to live there.”

Atchison, with the governor’s office, said, "I would absolutely refute that this was a secret plan."

She said, “By having a separate residence, (the mansion) will actually become more functional, more accessible for the public because you're not going to have a family living there."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Private group raises money for new Oklahoma governor's residence