Scott Dixon announces Ward 8 candidacy

Oct. 17—Scott Dixon has announced his bid for the Ward 8 seat in the February 2022 Norman City Council election.

The candidate plans to focus on homelessness, stormwater, public safety and improving business and council relations for economic growth. Councilor Matthew Peacock currently holds the Ward 8 seat.

Dixon said he has been following council meetings for two years, but it wasn't until the council reallocated $865,000 from the Norman Police Department's proposed budget increase on June 16, 2020 that he decided to vie for the seat. In July 2020, he joined Unite Norman, a group that formed to recall odd-numbered city councilors and Mayor Breea Clark.

"It just seems like overall, the council is anti-business, anti-development, anti-everything," Dixon said. "We seem to get further behind and other towns seem to be well ahead of us on numerous things."

Members of city staff have decried to council a lagging sales tax revenue growth over several years; those conversations in council meetings were not lost on Dixon, he said.

To boost revenue, the candidate said he would be willing to consider a controversial project: the University of Oklahoma Foundation's proposed arena. The proposed 10,000-seat arena included space for restaurants, an events plaza and festivals.

"The sales tax revenues generated from the arena will be transformational for Norman," Dixon said.

The foundation sought tax incentives through the University North Park tax increment district in 2018. It was a project that met with resistance from council and ended up in court after former OU general counsel Fred Gipson filed a 2018 lawsuit to force the foundation to hand over numerous records he alleged were subject to the state open records act. The parties settled.

The foundation withdrew its request in July 2018, which prevented the council from voting on the project and protected it for future council consideration. Then-spokesman for the foundation Chip Carter said the foundation agreed not to pursue tax incentives, and attorney for the foundation Sean Rieger said it was withdrawn due lack of council support.

While the foundation sought $102.7 million in tax increment finance district funds, it also promised a boost to sales tax revenue to the tune of $400 million in private investment.

"I'd like to work with [Cleveland] County and the OU Foundation to build the arena in UNP to truly transform that area into a destination entertainment area," Dixon said.

While the arena is an example of Dixon's ideals opposing those of council, he supported the dais' 2020 general obligation bond package to offset shortfalls in the half-cent Norman Forward Sales Tax Fund. Voters declined to support it, and Unite Norman took credit for its failure.

"I would like to revisit those bonds," Dixon said. "I saw the bonds get shut down as kind of a no-vote of confidence in the council."

He also holds consensus with council that $60 million in citywide stormwater projects need to be addressed with a funding solution. The city does not have a stormwater utility fee, and voters declined bond proposals in 2016 and 2019.

"We keep kicking that can down the road," he said. "It's the never-ending issue that I would love to work for an equitable solution, to find a solution."

If elected, Dixon also hopes to address homelessness — he wants to ensure those released from mental health facilities have immediate support to keep them off the street, he said. He was aware of the need for affordable housing, and said improved relations with developers could mean more will consider building in Norman.

Although he has no experience serving in local government, Dixon cited his experience on several committees, including the board of trustees, at McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church. He and his wife Tiffany attend Victory Church with their two children. Tiffany is the principal at Roosevelt Elementary.

Dixon is from Chickasha, and moved to Norman in 2008. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in construction science from OU in 2003, and a master of energy management from Oklahoma City University in 2020. Following a sales career in oil and gas, he is now a pharmaceutical sales representative.

Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. Reach her at mwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420.