Nestled two square miles south of Oklahoma City, Washington is small enough that everyone knows each other and big enough that its sense of care ripples beyond town limits. For Town Administrator Mica Lunt, who arrived in 2024 as an outsider, Washington’s defining characteristic comes down to one word: “Tight.”
A moment from a recent school event illustrates this perfectly. When a mother posted online asking if someone could buy her son a ticket until she could reimburse them, community members jumped in instantly. “The number of responses… really showcased just the way that the community takes care of each other,” Lunt recalls.
Washington’s uniqueness stems from its blend of long-time families and new residents drawn to its top-tier school district and rural charm. But that blend hasn’t come without challenges. After a water shortage the previous summer, restoring trust became one of Lunt’s top priorities. He tackled it with transparency, publicly posting monthly financial reports, complete with screen-recorded walkthroughs explaining every dollar.
Residents rewarded that transparency by voting in support of a 1-cent sales tax increase, resulting in the largest state sales tax payment the town has ever received.
Lunt also emphasizes inclusion far beyond town lines. Although the incorporated population is only around 700, he invites surrounding rural residents who participate in town life daily to council meetings and decision-making. “Even though they don’t live technically within the town limits, we care about them.”
Five years from now, Lunt hopes residents will say something simple but profound: that the local government regained their trust. In a town built on relationships, that’s the highest honor.
