Published: May 07, 2008 11:33 pm         

Legislators, community united for facility's funding

It was one of those few times everyone in Enid got together for the same cause, and the James Strate Center for Business Development at Autry Technology Center is the result of that community effort.

Former State Rep. Curt Roggow said he thinks Enid was successful in getting funding for the business incubator because of the solid coalition of support.

“Where we really won? We had everyone, every group in the community, actively participating for this business development center. Whether it was the city, chamber, our colleges, local business, the different groups in Enid with lobby organizations at the Capitol, everyone was on board,” Roggow said.

The business development center was the No. 1 priority in 2005 for Enid and Garfield County, and local legislators were able to present a united front to the leadership. They were able to make it known to the House and Senate leadership, and typically those projects will come about, Roggow said.

“It was the best example of the community pulling together and making something happen at the state Capitol. I hope we can create the same energy again for our part of the state,” he said. “It was a good example of how you do it the right way.”

Money was not an obstacle that year. Lobbying for the project began in 2005 and came to fruition in 2006 when $1.5 million was received from the Legislature.

Roggow said there were times of frustration, and often he did not know it would happen until the last minute. But he had a good feeling knowing everyone back home was making funding the top priority.

Roggow said he is excited about Friday’s grand opening of the center. He said it was “neat” to work on a project and see it come through.

“I’m glad to see it. It will benefit our part of the state,” he said.

State Rep. Mike Jackson spent his early days in the Legislature working on center funding. There eventually were two funding measures, $1.5 million in 2006 and another $500,000 the following year.

“I worked really, really hard, and I thought at the end of the day we would have a chance. That was my freshman year, and it was a learning experience for me,” he said.

The biggest obstacle to overcome for Jackson was getting all sides — House, Senate and Gov. Brad Henry — to agree. Funds eventually came from lottery dollars that specifically are set aside for the CareerTech system. Each year, $6 million is set aside for brick and mortar projects as part of the 45 percent that goes to higher education from lottery dollars, Jackson said.

“It takes concentrated effort. We received full funding in 2007 by continuing to stay focused on the ultimate goal to bring additional business to the city and to help business survive and thrive in the ever-changing economy,” he said.

It was an educational experience, but a good one for Jackson, who said he always has been interested in the appropriation process.

While there were frustrating times, Jackson said he feels good about what was accomplished.

“I’m extremely excited about Autry Tech and that the community got behind it and the idea of home-growing business, like Advance Food and Groendyke Transport. We want to see more and more of those,” he said.

State Sen. Patrick Anderson also was in his first term when the community made the business center its top priority.

“It was very challenging to obtain the funding for the project. I filed on the Senate side to get funding, and I had to continually approach the appropriations chairman and president pro tem to remind them of the importance of the project, how important it will be for growing the economy in northwest Oklahoma,” he said. “By the end of the session, I think they could recite my speech word for word.”

Anderson called the experience exciting and said he looks forward to the dedication Friday.

There were times when the issue seemed dead. At one point, Anderson’s bill to fund the Enid center and other business incubators around the state was killed by Senate Democrats who were in the majority.

“We wouldn’t have been able to get the funding if not for the unified effort, community effort, that proved what we can accomplish when we try,” he said.