A Clear Plan for Oklahoma’s Future

Property taxes in Oklahoma are rising faster than family incomes. Homeowners are paying more each year for homes they already own. Seniors on fixed incomes are being pushed toward impossible choices. Young families are struggling to afford stability. Small businesses face growing uncertainty tied to property valuations they cannot control.

In Oklahoma’s largest counties, property tax collections have grown by 6% or more each year over the last five years. Household wages have not.

This is not a temporary spike. It is a structural problem built into how government funds itself. And if it continues, it will keep making life more expensive, less predictable, and less fair for Oklahomans.

Oklahoma can do better. And we can do it responsibly.

Across the state, property tax has become a silent pressure point on families and businesses. The system is growing faster than the people paying for it.

• Average property tax bills have increased by 42 percent over the last decade

• Over 30 percent of seniors report property taxes as a top financial concern

• Rising valuations force families to pay more even when their income does not change

• Businesses face unpredictable costs that discourage expansion and hiring

• Oklahoma County property valuations have increased 10%+ annually for nearly two decades

• Urban counties have seen 6%+ annual growth in property tax collections over the last five years

• Wages have not grown at the same rate, creating a permanent affordability gap

Seniors are being priced out of homes they already paid for.

• The homestead exemption is capped at $1,000

• That number has not changed since 1987

• Adjusted for inflation, the exemption should be several times higher today

This is not a tax break problem. It is a fairness problem.

Bold ideas require accountability. This plan includes safeguards so Oklahomans can trust the outcome.

• Transparent reporting on revenue replacement and spending controls

• Annual independent audits made public

• A phased rollout to prevent disruption to schools and local services

• Voter protections that prevent backdoor tax increases

This plan does not rely on blind trust. It relies on clear rules and measurable results.

• Year 1: Pass reforms, lock in cost controls, ban new unsustainable pension plans

• Year 2: Voters decide on senior exemptions and any replacement mechanisms

• Ongoing: Transparency and annual reporting to taxpayers

• You fully own your home without a yearly penalty

• Seniors can retire without fear of losing what they earned

• Families can plan their future with certainty

• Businesses can invest with confidence

• Oklahoma leads the nation instead of following it

• Seniors are no longer forced to sell homes because taxes rise faster than fixed incomes

Lower costs. Real ownership. Long-term stability.

Oklahoma land is more than acreage.  It is family heritage, economic security, food production, and energy independence. Once land is sold to outside interests, it is rarely recovered. And once control is lost, so is accountability. Oklahoma is now facing a public safety crisis tied directly to how land is being used and who controls it. Oklahoma ranks 13th in the nation for violent crime, with 423 violent crimes per 100,000 people. In 2024, Oklahoma’s violent crime rate was 17.7 percent higher than the national average.

Much of this increase is linked to illegal activity operating on land shielded by loopholes, weak enforcement, and foreign-backed operations.

Across the country, foreign entities and out-of-state investors are quietly acquiring farmland, mineral rights, and strategic property. Oklahoma cannot afford to be complacent. Protecting land today protects sovereignty, security, and opportunity for the next generation.

This is about stewardship, not isolation. Growth is welcome. Exploitation is not.

Oklahomans are raising real concerns about who owns land and who benefits from it.

This is not hypothetical. It is already happening.

• The Chinese Communist Party now owns land or holds land-linked interests in all 77 Oklahoma counties

• Out of control marijuana industry has allowed massive grow operations tied to foreign money and criminal networks

• Oklahoma produces 30 times more marijuana than is necessary for the state’s approximately 300,000 medical card holders

• Rural land is being used as cover for trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime

• Communities are left dealing with the consequences while profits leave the state

This is what happens when land policy is disconnected from enforcement.

Strong policy means nothing without enforcement.

• Mandatory ownership disclosure and public reporting

• Regular audits of land records and ownership structures

• Clear penalties for violations, including forced divestment

• Coordination between state agencies to ensure compliance

• Mandatory audits of large land purchases and land-use changes

• State-level enforcement authority when counties fail to act

• Penalties severe enough to deter abuse, not just fines that get ignored

Laws without enforcement are invitations to be exploited.

• Oklahoma land stays under Oklahoma control

• Family farms and ranches remain viable

• Food, water, and energy resources stay secure

• Communities retain economic leverage

• Oklahoma protects its sovereignty without sacrificing growth

• Reduced violent crime by cutting off criminal networks that depend on isolated land access

Protecting land is protecting people.

Education is the single biggest predictor of whether a child will succeed, struggle, or leave Oklahoma altogether. Right now, too many families feel trapped in a system that talks about progress but delivers uneven results.

Oklahoma does not have an effort problem. It has an alignment problem. We spend billions on education, yet parents are frustrated, teachers are burned out, and employers cannot find qualified workers.

Education should work for students, families, teachers, and taxpayers. Right now, it is not working well enough for any of them.

Parents, teachers, and employers are all saying the same thing in different ways.

• Too many students graduate without basic reading, writing, and math skills

• Teachers are buried in bureaucracy instead of supported in the classroom

• Parents feel shut out of decisions about their own children

• High school diplomas do not consistently translate into career readiness

• Colleges and employers report a growing skills gap

This is not about politics. It is about outcomes.

Accountability is not punishment. It is clarity.

• Clear benchmarks for student progress

• Transparent reporting parents can understand

• Intervention when systems fail students

• Flexibility for schools that demonstrate success

Success should be rewarded. Failure should be addressed honestly and quickly.

• Students graduate prepared, not guessing

• Parents regain trust in the system

• Teachers are respected and supported

• Employers gain a stronger workforce

• Oklahoma keeps its talent at home

This is education that works in real life, not just on paper.

Too many Oklahomans are working hard and still falling behind. The cost of living is rising, but wages haven’t kept up. Young talent leaves for better opportunities, and small businesses are crushed by red tape and uncertainty.

Oklahoma has the people, the grit, and the resources to lead. What’s missing is a focused, disciplined approach that rewards work, attracts investment, and keeps our best talent here.

We don’t need more government programs. We need an economy that works for the people who built it.

Families and businesses are feeling the pressure on every front.

• The average household income in Oklahoma trails the national average by over $12,000

• Many counties face double-digit underemployment, especially in rural areas

• Young professionals often leave for higher-paying careers in Texas, Colorado, or Tennessee

• Outdated tax policy and regulation push small businesses to the brink

• Workforce training is disconnected from what real employers need

It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a lack of alignment between policy and reality.

• Every tax cut is paired with a spending reform or offset

• Job creation tracked by region, sector, and wage tier

• Regular reporting on economic impact and talent retention

• Employer feedback loops guide future workforce investments

This is not “build it and hope.” It’s build, measure, and adjust.

• More good jobs that let families get ahead

• A stronger middle class with real earning power

• Young people staying, not leaving

• Small businesses scaling instead of stalling

• A modern economy built on work, not government dependency

Oklahomans don’t want a handout. They want a fair shot.

Oklahomans are tired of watching their tax dollars disappear into a system that delivers less every year.

Budgets grow, but results don’t. Agencies multiply, but performance stalls. Programs expand, but problems stay the same.

Government isn’t held to the same standard as families, businesses, or even schools. That’s why it keeps getting bigger, slower, and harder to trust.

Mike Mazzei believes it’s time to change the rules — and demand results.

The cost of big government is everywhere, even when it’s invisible.

• State agencies with overlapping missions and no performance metrics

• Millions wasted on programs no one tracks, measures, or trims

• Bureaucracy that delays permits, buries small businesses, and frustrates families

• Politicians who campaign as conservatives but govern like caretakers of the system

Accountability isn’t partisan. It’s what taxpayers deserve.

Accountability fails when it’s optional. This plan builds it into the system.

• Performance audits required by statute, not press pressure

• Independent review board with taxpayer representation

• Budget reviews tied to deliverables, not politics

• Mandatory sunset provisions on all new government programs

Every agency must justify its existence — every year.

• Fewer bureaucrats, more results

• Smaller, leaner government that works as hard as the people who fund it

• More money freed up for priorities that actually work

• Higher trust in public leadership

• A state that proves conservative government can also be competent

You don’t fix government with speeches. You fix it with systems.