Mayor G.T. Bynum is proposing a vote on a $639,000,000.00 tax increase to expand the size and cost of city government.

Tulsans pay a sales tax of 8.517 percent with 4.5 percent going to the state, .367 percent to Tulsa County and 3.65 percent to the city. The State of Oklahoma has an average 8.92 percent sales tax, according to the Tax Foundation.

If approved, Tulsans would pay higher sales taxes for 6.5 years. According to the Tax Foundation, Oklahoma has the sixth highest sales taxes in the nation, behind only: 1. Tennessee; 2. Louisiana; 3. Arkansas; 4. Washington; 5. Alabama. Some states collect no sales tax on food and some collect no sales tax on anything.

It is up to the City Council on whether to approve Bynum’s tax package for a vote of the people. The tax increase would follow on the heels of the sales tax hike in 2013, which will expire. Tulsa voters first approved this sales tax in 2013, which totaled $918,700,000.00. A vote is planned for November 12.

Bynum and city councilors created the plan and then held five meetings to present their pre-determined tax increase to the public. More public meetings are planned to generate more support for the tax increase vote.

Bynum has grown the list since his first proposal. His new list has additional funding for bridges; matching funds for federal transportation grants; money for the Route 66 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Route; downtown arena improvements, and funds for fire department equipment. “Community development” project funds were added for each council district in an effort to gain votes for the proposal.

November 12 Tax Increase Plan

$448,330,000.00                   Streets and Transportation

(rehabilitation, widening, alleyways, downtown arena improvements, sidewalks, downtown improvements, right-of-way, bridges, bus service, engineering, bike and pedestrian trails)

$50,750,000.00                     Police cars, equipment

  $8,000,000.00                      Parking

  $7,000,000.00                      City building maintenance

  $6,000,000.00                      Tulsa Zoo parking

  $6,000,000.00                      Gilcrease Museum

  $5,340,000.00                      Greenwood Cultural Center

  $5,000,000.00                      ADA for city facilities

  $3,000,000.00                      ADA for city parks

  $2,460,000.00                      City roofs

  $1,000,000.00                      Police Courts Building

  $1,000,000.00                      One Technology Center

$10,125,000.00                     Park maintenance

  $5,500,000.00                      Playground upgrades

  $4,800,000.00                      Tennis court rehabilitation

  $3,125,000.00                      Fred Johnson Park rehabilitation

  $1,700,000.00                      Swan Lake rehabilitation

  $2.750,000.00                      Hill Park improvements      

  $1,000,000.00                      Mohawk Park rehabilitation

  $1,000,000.00                      City parks parking rehabilitation

$23,000,000.00                     Fire Department equipment

  $3,000,000.00                      911 Station Alert System

  $4,500,000.00                      New police helicopter

    $660,000.00                       Computer aided dispatch

    $510,000.00                       Police Data storage

  $5,000,000.00                      “Economic development”

  $9,000,000.00                      “Community development”

$19,000,000.00                     Rainy Day fund

    $250,000.00                       Bond costs

$639,000,000.00                   Total