Choctaw meets about proposed sales tax

By Ryan Horton
Choctaw Times

 

Last Monday the Choctaw City Council hosted the first of four Town Hall meetings to discuss the proposed penny sales tax to be voted on Feb. 11.
This week was the second of the four scheduled meetings.

Two more public meetings are planned for January 20 and 27, and residents are encouraged to attend, listen to the city official’s explanation for the tax proposal, and ask questions and provide feedback.

The election will be open to residents within the municipal boundaries of Choctaw, and asks voters to consider adding a one cent sales tax earmarked specifically for capital improvements.

If passed, the total sales tax on goods purchased in Choctaw would go from 8.75 to 9.75 percent.

This would be an 11.43 percent sales tax increase to shoppers in Choctaw, and city officials say the advantage of this infrastructure funding solution is that the burden of funding city needs would fall on anyone shopping in the city and not just the residents of the community.

If approved by voters, of every $100 spent within the city limits, $1 would go toward city infrastructure needs.
The primary purpose for the penny tax would be to fund expansion of the wastewater treatment facility, but funds would also be used for other infrastructure needs like water line and road maintenance.

Officials say rapid population growth, with sales tax being the primary funding source for the city, has caused the current infrastructure shortcomings seen throughout the city.

The city grew by 28 percent from 2000 (over 9,500 residents) to 2020 (over 12,200 residents), and growth is still occurring.

“The job of council and staff is not to promote or stop growth, but to be proactive in meeting current and future needs of citizens and city,” said councilman Cody Brewer.
The city currently has $1 million a year budgeted for road projects, which can accommodate approximately two miles of new road a year through a new partnership with Oklahoma County.
Over the last year, a mile of NE 10th Street and a mile of Reno Avenue has been resurfaced with these funds. Harper Road, betweeen NE 10th and NE 23rd, is set to be resurfaced in the spring along with needed drainage improvements to protect the new road surface.
An estimated $2.1 million would be generated annually from the penny tax, and that could provide an additional $500,000 to go towards roads each year.
Officials say this could allow for $30 million in road work over the next 20 years.

The remaining proposed annual tax revenue (over $1.5 million) would go towards water, sewer and drainage repair, renovation and maintenance each year.

Officials expect this revenue to increase over time, and so would funds to allow for needed infrastructure maintenance and expansion.

This tax would not expire.

Other key issues needing attention are half-century old water lines that are failing and stormwater overwhelming the treatment plant.

The Choctaw City Council, who are all serving in their first term, say city staff is developing short-term and long-term plans to address all these issues.

A one-year plan would expect to see manhole repair projects, water well capacity improvements, increased road work, and policy changes to curb sewer growth.

In five years, a waste water treatment plant expansion would be complete, the city would have increased sewer maintenance capacity, and additional road improvements would continue.

In 20 years, the city would be setup for long-term municipal system sustainability.

Former longtime Oklahoma County Sheriff and Choctaw resident John Whetsel was in attendance and took time to voice his support of the proposed penny tax at the first meeting.

“This is the first common sense approach to fix water-sewer-roads in our community in over 20 years. It was developed by the leaders we elect to represent us after in depth study,” said Whetsel.
“We don’t pay a penny in property taxes that goes to the city and increasing property taxes was ruled out as a way to pay for these needs.”

Whetsel believes the current proposition will help the city address critical infrastructure hurdles that currently exist and will grow as the population continues to increase within the city.

“No one wants to pay more taxes, but to me it’s simple, a YES vote is a vote supporting the future of our city – a city where I have lived for over 50 years – and will allow everyone shopping here to help pay a little at a time and if you don’t want to pay the extra tax you can shop elsewhere. It’s a win for everyone, especially those of us who live here. Vote YES,” added Whetsel.

The third meeting will be Jan. 20 at Choctaw’s NE 23rd Street fire station, and the final meeting will be Jan. 27 in the gym of Griffith Meridian Elementary.

 

Follow us @ChoctawTimes on Facebook and X