Skip to main content

How to Spend $47 Million in 4 Months


The CARES Act passed by Congress has a provision to give funds to state and local governments. Out of this, Oklahoma County has been given the onerous task of spending $47 million by the end of the year. The caveat being all expenses must be related to COVID-19. Any money not used must be returned to the federal government. While the county is undoubtedly receiving a plethora of self-interested letters requesting a portion of the funds, there are a few ways to spend the money to the benefit of all Oklahoma County residents. This should not be read to condone spending money just because it is available. Government officials must remember that the money they spend comes directly from the taxpayer, and should only be spent in ways that benefit all or most of society.

Oklahoma County could also use the money to give grants to small businesses that were forced to shut down or otherwise damaged by the government’s actions related to COVID-19. Small businesses could use the money to avoid layoffs, rehire staff, and stay afloat as the economy recovers. They could also use the money to fulfill any government mandates related to COVID. There should be rules limiting which businesses qualify for this assistance. Businesses that were allowed to remain fully operational during the shutdowns would not qualify for this assistance, mainly larger businesses like Wal-Mart. This program could be extended to non-profits as well.

The CARES Act allows for funds to be transferred from the county to school districts. Taking some of that money to help schools in Oklahoma County prepare for in-person education would be a good use of that money. Schools can use the money for additional cleaning supplies. The money could fund hiring and training a pool of substitute teachers that could fill in for any teachers that fall ill or are at-risk. Only school districts that reopen fully would be eligible to receive the extra funding. This will further incentivize schools to reopen. The reopening of schools will help parents get back to work, which is a further boon to the economy.

One glaring change brought on by COVID-19 was a rise in mail in ballots for the primary election. Given the state’s experience with State Question 802, where the mail-in vote was highly lopsided and uninformed compared to the larger overall in-person outcome, alleviating the public's anxiety about voting in person should be a top priority. Ensuring proper precautions are taken at election sites would make voters more comfortable visiting their polling places, which would reduce the risk of tampering with mail-in ballots. Particular measures might include providing testing and protective materials for poll workers, having extra poll workers, and putting cleaning supplies in each voting booth. Ensuring the sanitary conditions will help secure the sanctity of the general election. This should be a top priority for Oklahoma.

Some of the money could be used to protect residents in nursing homes. Nursing homes house the population most vulnerable to COVID, the elderly who often have other maladies that make them particularly susceptible. Residents and caregivers should be tested frequently. Any caregivers that test positive should get partial pay and self-quarantine until they are no longer contagious. Residents who test positive should be moved immediately to a hospital where they can receive proper care. Money should also be used to ensure nursing homes are properly staffed and have the proper protective equipment.

While the connection to COVID-19 is less clear, an argument can be made that the County could use some of the funds to improve roads and traffic lights. Making travel less aggravating would help get people out of their homes and give a badly needed boost the local economy. The state of roads and bridges in Oklahoma is dismal, the American Society of Civil Engineers gives Oklahoma roads a grade of D and bridges a D+. A grade of D means the infrastructure is in poor condition and there is a strong risk of failure. With the influx of CARES money, a lot of work could go into repairing failing infrastructure in the county. The case could be made for repairing roads near hospitals which would free funds to improve other roads. 

The county has received a windfall, but it must be careful to spend it wisely and in accordance with the principles of good governance. The federal deficit falls on Oklahomans and Californians alike. If Oklahoma County cannot use the money in ways that will benefit all its residents, it has a duty to return the funds. The primary goal in spending the money should be economic recovery, with a secondary goal of ensuring safety for citizens.


Spencer Cadavero is a Research Associate at 1889 institute and can be reached at scadavero@1889institute.org.

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of 1889 Institute.

Popular posts from this blog

Dictatorship in the City: The Conceit of the Aesthetic Elite

  Throughout modern history, the "enlightened" few have sought to define the ideal city. Whether the brainchild of a visionary architect or a commission of prominent residents, the various means of comprehensive urban planning lead to the same end – the chosen few dictating how you live, where you work, what you see, and how you experience your city.   This dictatorship of the aesthetic elite burdens all within a city's limits with an arbitrary, artistic interpretation of the city. Individuals, neighborhoods, and corporations are forced into a utopian vision of perfection. Ironically, "Utopia" means "no place" – which is precisely where comprehensive city planning leads us: nowhere. The reality is, cities are complex. They are the product of innumerable interactions that shape a community to satisfy its residents' needs and wants. Local governments today are consumed with meeting those needs and wants in the most efficient way possible. The modern ...
Read more

Lack of Action from Oklahoma’s Occupational Licensing Advisory Commission

Apparently, if you’re a legislator in Oklahoma and want to look like you’re doing something about an issue while not actually doing anything at all, you pass a bill to create a commission to study the issue. At least, that’s how the Oklahoma Occupational Licensing Advisory Commission (LAC) has operated so far. According to a study I did while at the Goldwater Institute, Oklahoma ranked as the 24 th most-licensed state. A study by the Institute for Justice ranked Oklahoma 35 th in how broadly and onerous its licensing laws are. But these, and similar studies, are really just counts of how many occupations states license, so they leave out a lot of nuance. The Institute for Justice’s report does add some nuance, reporting that by its standard of measure, Oklahoma ranks 18 th in how burdensome are its licensing laws. That is an important piece of information. On the one hand, according to the Institute for Justice, Oklahoma’s licensing laws cover fewer occupations than in ma...
Read more

Oklahoma Mayors Acted Unlawfully With COVID-19 Orders

In response to COVID-19, the mayors of Oklahoma’s three largest cities subjected their citizens to draconian shelter in place orders, restricting their freedom, damaging them financially, and undermining their constitutional rights. The mayoral decrees were more restrictive than those of the Governor, and in significant ways contradicted his policy. To this day, city-mandated social distancing rules remain in place in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Norman that are not required by the state’s reopening plan. The mayors claim that where their rules are more restrictive than the state’s, the city rules apply. Was any of this unilateral mayoral activity legally valid? For the reasons examined in my paper published today, An Argument Oklahoma’s Mayors Acted Unlawfully During COVID-19 , the short answer is no. (A summary of the paper can be found here .) A close examination of relevant city ordinances and state laws governing the mayors’ COVID-19 decrees forces the conclusion tha...
Read more

Penmanship Fit for a King, Words Fit for a Free People

Penmanship Fit for a King, Words Fit for a Free People We all know that Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence, but who wrote the Declaration? Who took pen to paper—actually, quill to parchment—and inscribed the words on the document displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.? The name Timothy Matlack has largely been lost to history, but in addition to having exceptional penmanship, Matlack actually played a significant role in the events we celebrate on the Fourth of July. More importantly, the words Matlack transcribed set into motion a conception of government completely new in world history. While Matlack’s elegant calligraphy appears fit for a king, Jefferson’s elegant prose—directed at a king—had far more lasting consequences. So what of these consequential words? We’ve all read them at some point, or perhaps been required to memorize them in school. Was the Declaration just a flowery way of saying “no taxation without representati...
Read more