Sen. Boren comments on her vote against confirming Tim Gatz to lead ODOT

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Mary Boren issued a statement Tuesday following her no vote on the executive nomination of Tim Gatz as executive director for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT).

“Since 2021, Senate District 16 has been in turmoil over a major transportation plan under Mr. Gatz’s leadership that failed to include stakeholder involvement and lacked transparency in the purchase of surrounding land.

“Today the Aeronautics and Transportation Committee had the opportunity to consider the qualifications of Tim Gatz to continue serving as the executive director of ODOT. I hoped for the chance to talk about ways that Mr. Gatz would restore trust with my constituents. Unfortunately, the confirmation process prevented us from publicly having this kind of candid conversation.

“Upon a vote by the full Senate, Mr. Gatz will likely be confirmed to be the chief executive officer of an agency that oversees about $1.6 billion in taxpayer funds. I am convinced that it is entirely appropriate to address the legitimate concerns that have developed since 2021 before the Senate confirms him to continue leading ODOT. I believe if we were in a business setting, Mr. Gatz and I would have been able to have that conversation, but in a supermajority, politically divisive environment, candid and corrective conversations are rare.

“Despite this predictable and disappointing outcome, I am resolved to continue demanding that government is accountable to ordinary people and do my best to work in a bipartisan way to proactively include stakeholders, prevent wasteful spending, and advance sound projects.” – Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman.

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Mary Boren at 405-521-5553 or Mary.Boren@oksenate.gov