On Feb. 10, Norman City Council Ward 4 voters will decide between incumbent Helen Grant and OU professor Cindy Gordon, each of whom share similar priorities on housing, economic growth and homelessness but differ on approach and nuance.
Grant has represented Norman’s Ward 4 since 2022. Gordon is the director of human anatomy at the University of Oklahoma and a professor in the School of Biological Sciences. The two broadly agree on housing, homelessness and the need to stimulate the city’s economy to counter financial constraints.
Seen in blue, Ward 4 covers central Norman, from Robinson Street south between Berry Road and 12th Avenue East. South of Lindsey Street, it narrows with an eastern boundary of Chautauqua Avenue and runs down to State Highway 9.
Over the last four years, Grant said they have worked to position themself as an advocate. During a candidate forum hosted by the Norman Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 12, Grant said they have years of institutional knowledge that is not easily replaced. But Grant has also been the subject of recent criticism. In late 2025, critics placed Grant under increased scrutiny after a social media comment they made about Charlie Kirk’s death went viral. Grant said Kirk was “a cog in the gears of a much larger death machine.”
“I think the detractors are like a flash in the pan,” Grant said in an interview about their reelection campaign. “Honestly, I will not be bullied out of what I am doing. For whatever reason, my personality is such that it is just that I do not bend the knee to bullies.”
Facing questions about why she chose to challenge grant when they share so many policy positions, Gordon bills herself as a “voice for all in the community.”
In an interview about her campaign, Gordon said she has years of experience collaborating to solve problems, crediting her time in academia and leadership for the development of those skills. Gordon said she served in the Peace Corps as a science teacher in the Kingdom of Tonga, a small Polynesian island in the South Pacific. Gordon has further served on the Norman Planning Commission, the Porter Corridor Steering Committee and an advisory committee for the city’s police chief selection process.
Gordon said she decided to run because of a sense of civic duty and because of the “vitriol” around politics at all levels, which she believes she is equipped to counter.
“I think that gets in the way of progress,” Gordon said. “If you have people on, kind of, sides of the issue, digging their heels in and (saying), ‘If I do not get my way, I am going to take my ball home,’ that does not really move Norman forward. (…) We are not all going to agree on everything, but we do have to approach Norman’s problems in a professional way.”
Gordon said she was not referring to any particular member of council, but that everyone should act respectfully.
“I think we need to do better as a city at listening,” Gordon said.
Candidates back permanent shelter proposal
Norman leaders have debated the city’s approach to homelessness for years. The debate often centers around the degree of the city’s involvement and financial stake.
In November, the city purchased more than three acres of land along Reed Avenue at the Griffin Memorial Hospital site for $74,290, intending to build a permanent homeless shelter. The Norman City Council unanimously voted to place an $8 million bond question on the April 7 ballot to fund construction of the shelter, which would be owned by the city and operated by City Care. Norman voters rejected a similar proposal in 2020 by fewer than 400 votes.
According to survey results presented to the council Jan. 7, 50 percent of a random sampling of 339 respondents support the proposed bond. Those in the neighborhood near the former Griffin Memorial Hospital are already unhappy with homeless activity in the area, owing to the Food and Shelter site nearby. Grant and Gordon are both supportive of the bond plan, but each acknowledged concerns about increased activity in the area that a permanent shelter would bring.
Gordon said the city should look to address what she called “ancillary issues” related to homelessness that are posted in community groups on social media, referencing situations like the stabbing of an employee in downtown Norman.
“There are a lot of issues that have been happening in the neighborhoods right next to Food and Shelter and where the new homeless shelter is going,” Gordon said.
Grant said the current situation speaks to “a lack of resources” and that the city could potentially use Community Development Block Grant funds to extend residents’ fences in the area, limiting access to the neighborhood from the shelter site.
Grant said there has been interest in selling some of the homes near the proposed shelter, noting that they did not believe the city would buy them, but a private entity “may choose to create permanent supportive housing opportunities.”
Gordon is not a fan of the possibility.
“It is not just as simple as saying, ‘Well, we will just buy your home out,'” Gordon said. “It just cannot be that simple. It almost seems just like a flippant way of dealing with it.”
Grant noted City Care’s reputation and stood by the site selection.
“We think moving the city shelter to Reed (Avenue) will help reduce that foot traffic, and then having more rooms, having places available during the day, will help with reducing the number of people outside,” Grant said.
Gordon said she supports the shelter, but she believes the neighborhood’s concerns have not been adequately addressed and that the shelter should be seen as the first step of many.
“This is really just the beginning of a really long process for the city,” Gordon said. “When you say the words ‘wrap-around services,’ what does that mean? (…) We need to make sure it is not this loosey-goosey, ‘OK, we have got these services,’ and it is just this haphazard use of services.”
Infill a throughline on housing
According to a staff report on the AIM Norman plan’s housing strategy, the city needs 23,226 housing units to accommodate a projected population of 185,759 by 2045. AIM Norman is the city’s master plan. Addressing the housing shortage has been a priority for several iterations of the city council, with debate typically centering around development strategies.
In recent years, an infill-focused strategy has taken root. The Norman City Council has adjusted ordinances, such as easing restrictions on accessory dwelling units and removing mandatory parking minimums, to lower barriers to development. Grant and Gordon agree the strategy is worth continuing if done responsibly.
Grant said the council is considering changes to minimum lot sizes. While they said more research must be done, that does not take away council’s acknowledgement of the need.
“As I talked to my constituents, affordability and what to do about it is important,” Grant said. “There are people in communities throughout Ward 4 who are complaining that there are not families in their neighborhoods anymore, and a lot of that has to do with the cost of housing and having children.”
Gordon agrees that more housing is needed and also has concerns about responsible development. She agrees that infill strategies like “up, not out,” are the path forward. But she is concerned about parking availability and disrupting the aesthetics of core Norman neighborhoods — noting the apartments west of the train depot.
“We cannot solve a problem and then create more,” Gordon said. “So an example would be (…) if you take away requirements for developers to have minimum parking, (…) then you have to also think five steps down the road of the fact that you now have (…) 100 more cars parked on the street.”
Grant said they are also concerned with parking availability downtown. They said they would back a downtown parking garage as a solution, which Gordon said she would also support.
In December, the city council approved the creation of the Norman Parking and Transit Authority, establishing a trust projected to collect $364,000 in revenue in 2026. Grant said the authority would enable bond questions that fund parking garages.
‘Trimming the fat’ and TIF reform
In January 2025, Norman’s now-retired finance director, Anthony Francisco, said the growth of expenditures was outpacing revenues, putting the city on pace for a negative fund balance in eight years. At the Norman Chamber of Commerce forum, President and CEO Scott Martin said sales tax collection has been flat. The city relies heavily on sales tax, which spiked in Fiscal Year 2022 but has since plateaued.
Gordon said that, beyond “trimming the fat where you can,” she would like to leverage Norman’s existing resources to increase sales tax revenue and loosen budgetary constraints.
“We could leverage the tourism angle,” Gordon said. “Norman has something that no one else has with our weather stuff. (…) I do not know why we do not leverage stuff with OU.”
The city council is considering placing a question to increase the guest room tax from 8 percent to 10 percent on the April ballot.
Grant said how the city spends money is important. They said there are mechanisms the city can use to generate economic activity, such as tax increment finance districts, but they said it may not be a viable mechanism because of the Rock Creek TIF districts, which cleared a procedural hurdle — for now — with Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling.
“Unfortunately, because of the arena TIF vote, it has left a very sour taste in Norman’s mouth, and if we do not get to vote on it, I expect there to be even more resistance,” Grant said before Tuesday’s court decision.
The Cleveland County Recreational and Entertainment Facilities Authority accepted construction-related proposals for the district in December.
Grant said they hope to craft an ordinance reforming TIF policies based on work done in other communities.
“We looked at Fort Worth’s ordinance, and I really like where 10 percent of a TIF that has housing in it must go toward affordable housing. (…) I think we should charge an application fee,” Grant said. “I am supportive of ad valorem (property taxes), unless there is a sales tax (…) and the other part (…) is to actually have a process where the community understands how a TIF works and then they give us feedback on the projects they want to see.”
Gordon is in favor of TIF reform and suggests additional public oversight, such as requiring a supermajority of councilmembers or direct voter approval for TIF establishment.
The election will be held Feb. 10, with early voting scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5, and Friday, Feb. 6.
