FISTA or Fix the Roads? Why Lawton is Still Angry Years Later

The old Central Mall and new “innovation center” in Downtown Lawton have been the topic of conversation in the Facebook comment sections for the last week or so. And not because people suddenly love defense contracts and federal research parks. No, it’s because the way this whole deal went down feels less like civic leadership and more like a backroom poker game we weren’t invited to.

Here’s the quick rundown.

What Voters Thought They Were Getting

Years ago, voters in Lawton were asked to approve a bond package that was pitched as a fix for our crumbling roads. And people, against all odds and skepticism, actually voted for it. After all, it’s hard to ignore the potholes that swallow tires whole and the intersections that look like they survived artillery training out at Fort Sill.

Folks thought, finally, maybe we’ll see some road improvement.

But instead, and almost overnight after the vote, those road dollars were redirected by the city to buy Central Mall from a few local and elected "investors" (for twice the price they bought it for a year prior) with a plan to form FISTA... the “Future Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator.”

That's what they call a municipal cash grab.

The Surprise FISTA Deal

It sounded fancy enough to earn its own acronym, but it doesn’t fill potholes.

The kicker? The city council and mayor managed to pull this off with so little public acknowledgment that most people found out about it only after it was already a done deal.

Surprise! You thought you voted for better roads, but what you really voted for was a long-term gamble... and that’s the root of why people are upset.

It’s not just the roads, though, that’s more than enough reason. It’s that the folks we elected to represent us decided to make one of the biggest financial moves in Lawton’s history behind closed doors.

Of course, every politician in City Hall went on the defensive. They promised the money could be used for roads and other things... FISTA was just one of those "other things."

It felt like a big, fat lie thrown in the face of every voter in town.

Could FISTA Actually Work?

Now, some will say FISTA could pay off down the line. It’s pitched as the kind of project that could bring jobs, attract tech, and diversify our economy. And sure, maybe in ten or twenty years, Lawton will look back and say this was the best gamble the city ever made. But right now, even five or so years later, people can’t get down Sheridan Road, Lee Boulevard, or Cache Road without knocking their alignment out.

What's worse is, while the mayor and city council have been trying to do damage control after the fact for years now, no one likes being told “wait and see” after being sold a completely different story.

The truth is, trust is fragile in a town like Lawton. The perception of us regular people is that we assume City Hall doesn’t care to listen, and this move absolutely concreted that suspicion.

Why Trust Is the Real Issue

Truth be told, even I - the City of Lawton’s worst critic - can admit that FISTA might be a roaring success one day. It's like any other investment, and while it sucks, we all have to wait to see if it will pay off... but that doesn't change the temperature of tempers for the old Lawton bait-and-switch.

What your city leaders don't seem to understand is that now that they've burned a hole in the trust of citizens, it’s incredibly tough to patch over without replacing names on the placards. Not even a new aquatic center can make people forget what they've done.

Can City Hall Ever Repair the Damage?