Broken Arrow City Council
Meeting of: 07-21-2015
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Office of the City Manager
Title:
Title
Consideration, discussion, and possible approval to pursue renewal of the Vision 2025 sales tax for City of Broken Arrow and Tulsa County purposes and discussion and possible direction for Staff to schedule a second Town Hall Meeting on this potential Vision 2025 extension
End
Background:
On March 24, 2015, the Mayors from Tulsa County Metropolitan cities held a press conference announcing the Cities United effort. Mayors and City Managers from these cities met on several occasions prior to the press conference to discuss the challenges each city was facing from both an operational and capital funding standpoint. A key component of this discussion was the sunset of the Vision 2025 Tulsa County Sales Tax. It was decided at those meetings that Mayors and City Managers would recommend to their respective governing bodies submission of a sales tax issue to resident voters capturing the 6/10 of one (1) penny of the county tax upon its expiration.
It was determined that each community could identify their priorities and set forth the necessary
percentages on the ballot title.
On April 21, 2015, the Fiscal Sustainability Committee submitted its Final Report. The Committee concluded that a sales tax increase is the only way to address the City's long-term operational funding issues. Broken Arrow has one of the lowest sales tax rates in the State. An increase would generate much needed revenue to address the per capita sales tax expenditures, as well as staffing concerns. The Committee supported capturing the expiring Vision Tax to fund both operational and capital needs.
There have been several discussions about how the sales tax proceeds, if approved, should be expended. The Fiscal Sustainability Committee, in particular, recommended that a portion be utilized for public safety. Also suggested were percentages for c...
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