Incumbent candidate Scott Dixon is running unopposed for the Ward 8 Norman City Council seat in the municipal election on Feb. 10.
Dixon, an Oklahoma native from Chickasha, graduated from OU. He lived in various states and worked in the oil field before returning to Norman, where he has now lived for over a decade.
Dixon has served as a council member for Ward 8 since July 2, 2024. He said his perspective on city council has grown after serving his first term.
“I had no idea what I didn’t know, …” Dixon said. “The amount of things that I’ve learned in the year and a half I’ve been doing it is just immense. … I’ve been just absolutely blown away at how phenomenal our professional city staff is.”
Dixon holds quarterly town halls at the Young Family Athletic Center in Ward 8. He believes community connection is crucial for council members.
Dixon said he hopes to host the town hall at different locations in the future to raise awareness for Norman facilities.
“I really had grand plans to host one at the waste reclamation facility, host one at the water reclamation facility, host one where we make drinking water,” Dixon said, “and just kind of show off all of the different departments — these big things that we have that are really neat that no one knows about.”
Dixon said he worked on a mental health project throughout this term that he is particularly proud of.
“Mental health is just a really, really big issue just worldwide, but definitely in the U.S., definitely in Oklahoma and definitely in Norman,” Dixon said.
According to Dixon, he worked with City Manager Darrel Pyle and physician Isaac Ilaoa to provide mental health services to all city employees.
“My thought was originally (to help) police officers, firefighters and dispatch. (After) talking to the city manager, we provided for all city employees,” Dixon said. “I got (Dr. Ilaoa) set up with the city so that he can provide mental health (services) to all city employees. … The city picks up the tab for that, I believe. It’s no cost to the city employees. I’m pretty proud of that.”
Early voting opens Thursday and Friday. Oklahoma residents can visit the OK Voter Portal to find sample ballots and their designated polling location.
Platform, goals
Dixon said one of his top priorities for the city is passing a stormwater utility bill. He said the city needs more funding to fix flooding issues in the heart of Norman.
“I would really like to see us pass a stormwater utility,” Dixon said. “It could be as little as $3 a month.”
Dixon said the people should be in control of the bill.
“It’d be a vote of the people. In five years, if the voters think that the city has done well … fixing what we say we’re going to fix, then they could vote again to make it permanent,” Dixon said. “It really holds us accountable to getting the stuff done that we say we’re going to.”
Building fire stations is another priority, according to Dixon. Norman currently has nine fire stations covering an area of about 189 square miles.
“We need to build two or three fire stations, according to the matrix plan that came out months ago,” Dixon said.
The matrix plan writes that additional fire stations and personnel should be added to address existing and future underserved residential and commercial development. Dixon said council is discussing ways to do this, including a potential rezoning of Ward 5. The rezoning is still in the early stages of planning, according to Dixon.
Rock Creek Entertainment District
The Rock Creek Entertainment District, which would be built in Ward 8, has been a key topic for Norman residents since it was announced in September 2023.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday the gist included in the petition to turn the entertainment district to a public vote is insufficient. According to an update on the city of Norman’s website, the project will move forward as originally planned.
Dixon shared his thoughts about the project before the decision.
Dixon, who voted in favor of the district, said the project would be great for Norman.
“It’s a really cool entertainment district, it’s not an increase in property taxes or sales taxes, …” Dixon said. “The whole ecosystem for business entertainment that we have in Norman, it’s just adding one more piece to that.”
The Rock Creek Entertainment District would create a tax increment finance district. According to the city, a TIF is a public tool that reallocates newly generated tax dollars for a limited amount of time to support development in the community.
More information on the proposed entertainment district, including a timeline of events, can be found on the OU Daily website.
Homeless shelter
A new homeless shelter is also a key topic of conversation in city politics.
On Jan. 27, council voted to put a potential $8 million homeless shelter project on an April ballot. In November, council purchased 3.23 acres near Food and Shelter.
“(The new location), it just is the place in Norman that makes the most sense,” Dixon said. “There’s more services for homeless people right there in that area.”
In early December, public affairs firm Amber Integrated surveyed Norman voters to gauge public support for the potential shelter.
According to the survey, 81% of voters view homelessness as a serious issue, with 86% of voters believing homeless shelters are important to the community. Of the voters surveyed, 50% support a 20-year bond to build a permanent shelter.
Dixon supports building the new homeless shelter.
“This is a little bit more than double the capacity (of the current emergency shelter), so it will be able to help more people out,” Dixon said.
The city has a contract with City Care, an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit centered around homelessness support services, approved in 2024, to help take over operations of A Friends House, a homeless shelter in Norman.
Based on City Care’s existing shelter, Dixon thinks the new shelter’s design is promising.
“I’ve looked at one of their shelters in a neighborhood in Oklahoma City. Looking up there, they’ve been a great neighbor. I assume that will hold up,” Dixon said.
He said the current 24-hour shelter in Oklahoma City provides medical care, helps people find permanent housing and helps people get IDs and birth certificates.
“It’s a place to pass through on their journey to getting back into housing,” Dixon said.
This story was edited by Macey Thaxton and Audrey McClour. Tori Pham, Sophie Hemker and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
