The City Council is working on the development of a new infrastructure funding package. This will replace the previous 2008 Fix-Our-Streets program, which expires in 2014.
The 2008 package, which was funded by a 1.167 percent sales tax and general obligation bonds, went entirely toward fixing streets. The next package would not raise taxes, but extend these existing funding sources. It will also address high priority needs in other City departments.
"The needs we are reviewing are very basic, bread-and-butter city needs: fixing streets, buying police cars and fire trucks, replacing water lines, et cetera," Councilor G.T. Bynum said.
The Capital Improvement Program Task Force, which was established last July, is charged with developing the next program.
First, the task force will meet with each City department to learn about their prioritized needs. The City Council will then analyze and present these needs to the citizens of Tulsa in a series of town hall meetings. At these meetings, the City Council will solicit feedback from citizens about the program.
Next, the City Council and the mayor will draft a proposed capital improvements program, which incorporates resident feedback, and present it to citizens in a second series of town hall meetings.
Last, the program will be finalized and placed on a ballot for voter consideration in November.
"The Council has uniformly agreed that we want the assembly of this package to be very public and very thorough," Bynum said. "We started a year in advance to accomplish this goal and look forward to hearing from the citizens of Tulsa about the kind of city we want to spend the next five years building."
See an overview of our infrastructure needs and potential funding sources here.
See the tentative schedule of the Council's Capital Improvement Program Task Force here.
See the total identified capital needs to date here (6-28-13)
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