The Oklahoma secretary of transportation is a member of the
Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet
The Cabinet of the governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the ...
. The secretary is appointed by the governor, with the consent of the
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Tim Gatz, a professional landscape architect with a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture, who was appointed by Governor
Kevin Stitt
John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...
in 2019.
History
The position of Secretary of Transportation was established in 1986 to provide greater oversight and coordination to the agricultural activities of the state government. The position was established, along with the
Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet
The Cabinet of the governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the ...
, by the
Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986
The Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986 (74 O.S. Sections 10.1–10.4) is an Oklahoma state law that requires the Governor of Oklahoma to organize the various 500 or more departments, agencies, boards, commissions and other entities of the state's ...
. The act directed the secretary of transportation to advise the governor on transportation needs and infrastructure policy and advise the state transportation agencies on new policy as directed by the governor.
Dual position
Oklahoma state law allows for cabinet secretaries to serve concurrently as the head of a state agency in addition to their duties as a cabinet secretary. Historically, the secretary of transportation has also served as either the director of the
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is an government agency, agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for the construction and maintenance of the state's transportation infrastructure. Under the leadership of the Oklahoma Sec ...
or as the director of the
Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (formerly Oklahoma Transportation Authority) is an agency of Oklahoma that deals with issues regarding the Oklahoma turnpike system. Along with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Authority is the primar ...
. As of 2019, seven of the eight transportation secretaries have served in one of those dual positions, with three serving in all three.
Responsibilities
The secretary of transportation is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and regulation of state's transportation system. This infrastructure includes rail lines, state highways, state turnpikes, state seaports, state airports and state spaceports.
As of fiscal year 2011, the secretary of transportation oversees 3478 full-time employees and is responsible for an annual budget of over $1.9 billion.
Agencies overseen
The secretary of transportation oversees the following state agencies:
*''All numbers represented Fiscal Year 2011 levels''
Salary
The secretary of transportation is one of the few cabinet secretaries whose annual salary is not set by law.Paragraph 2, Section 10.5, Title 74, Oklahoma Statutes /ref> As such, it is left to the governor to determine the position's salary through the annual budget. Despite this, if the secretary serves as the head of a state agency, the secretary receives the higher of the two salaries. What makes incumbent Secretary Gary Ridley's example unique is that he serves as both the head of the Transportation Department (ODOT) and the director of the Turnpike Authority (OTA). As such, he receives the salaries allowed to both positions.