ENID, OK - Mayor David Mason gave his 2024 State of the City Address on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 at the Stride Bank Center grand ballroom. There was a great crowd on hand that enjoyed lunch and the speech by Mayor Mason.
Under the theme, "A City on the Move," Mayor David Mason addressed the residents of Enid, reflecting on the notable achievements and milestones of 2023 including the near completion of the Kaw Lake Water Project.
The $342 million project has been in the planning since 2015 with the City of Enid breaking ground in 2021. Mason pointed out that the 70-mile pipeline project is the largest rural infrastructure project in Oklahoma history and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
During the speech Mason gave a glimpse into the visionary plans shaping the city's direction for the coming years.
Key highlights of Mayor Mason's address encompassed:
• Community Partnerships: Spotlight collaborations that have strengthened the bond between the city and its various community stakeholders.
• Infrastructure Improvements: Progress made in enhancing the city's infrastructure.
• Economic Development: Updates on economic initiatives to showcase the city's commitment to fostering a thriving business environment.
• Quality of Life Enhancements: Measures taken to enrich the quality of life for Enid residents.
• Community Services: Advancements in community services.
Many in the audience were waiting for an update on the future of a movie theater. Mason said, "You would think it would be easy to get a theater chain to come to a community of 52,000 people with a trade area of 125,000 people. Well, I'm here to tell you it's not easy."
He pointed out factors like COVID which devastated the movie theater industry and kept them from entering small markets. Then came the writers and actors strike which slowed things down once again.
Mason said for too many years people in our community and our trade area have driven to Oklahoma City to see a movie. While they were there, they ate at their restaurants, shopped at their retailers and purchased fuel from their service stations. This allowed precious sales tax revenue dollars to leave our community and go to Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
The city approved the plans for Icon Cinema to build a nine-screen, 53,000-square-foot movie theater hoping to keep those sales tax revenue dollars right here in Enid.
Mason said there have been hundreds and hundreds of hours of study, debate and even a few prayers along the way trying to move it from concept to reality.
Mason knew everyone was waiting on him to make the announcement but he said, “We are literally just waiting to hear confirmation that it’s all been done. So keep your fingers crossed, and we are confident that we will have a definitive decision regarding the theater hopefully within the next two weeks.”
Mason also talked about his goal for Enid to become a sports hub city. He feels this correlates with the efforts to generate sales tax revenue here in Enid. He said Enid needs in a new youth sports complex, which would add to the existing David Allen Memorial Ballpark and Advance Soccer Complex.
“We are starting the process of building a brand new, state-of-the-art youth sports complex,” Mason said. “It will house four youth football fields, four youth girls softball fields and 13 youth baseball fields.”
Mason said the new sports complex would be capable of hosting 100-team baseball tournaments, which could generate an estimated $1.5 million in additional sales tax revenue.
About Mayor David Mason
Mayor David Mason is a dedicated public servant committed to the betterment of Enid. With a vision for progress and a passion for community building, Mayor Mason continues to lead Enid towards a bright and prosperous future.
About the State of the City Address
The State of the City Address is an annual event where the mayor provides a comprehensive overview of the city's accomplishments and outlines future plans. It serves as a platform for transparency, engagement, and community involvement.
