2nd-Annual Oklahoma Conference Of Black Mayors Takes Place At State Capitol

Mayors from 17 of Oklahoma's historically Black towns met in Oklahoma City for their second annual conference on Saturday.

The event empowers the small-town leaders to collaborate on similar issues and communicate directly with partners at the state level. The population of Oklahoma's historically Black towns has decreased substantially over the last century, leaving most with less of a tax base but a growing number of demands.

"The reason we're here today is because of the lack of resources available to the towns," said Donnie Nero, the treasurer for the Oklahoma Conference of Black Mayors.

Among the state agencies in attendance were the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Tourism and the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Leon Anderson is the Mayor of Grayson, which is a town in Okmulgee County. He said his town, for example, increasingly relies on tourism to boost its economy.

But, he said infrastructure improvements are needed to keep the momentum going.

"Part of our basic issue is we want to continue to exist and enhance our communities," Anderson said. He has encouraged other communities to chase projects like upgrading the width of their intersections to help tour buses navigate their streets.

Anderson said public utilities are one of the biggest issues facing Oklahoma's historically Black towns, but that new statewide partners are easing the burdens for many of their mayors.

"The idea of preserving and being knowledgeable of our history and that all of us make a contribution to the state of Oklahoma in some manner," Anderson said. "It's a positive thing for us to come together and share this information because we all make up this great state of Oklahoma.

Those population changes have also negatively impacted the tax bases for many of these towns, leaving them unable to pay for necessary projects.