Mayor G. T. Bynum proposed a new Tulsa Bond and Sales Tax initiative: Improve our Tulsa III, on March 22.  This next week there will be public meetings held to hear public comments on this on new tax initiative.  This new tax would have a price tag of $772 million dollars, and would replace an expiring tax.  If that tax would expire it would lessen the tax burden, if this tax is voted in the tax burden would remain constant.

The bond issue is divided into four areas of expenditure: Streets and Transportation, City Facilities, Capital Equipment and Housing and Neighborhoods. Under Housing and Neighborhoods there is a new program the Tulsa Housing  Initiative.

Bond issues usually cover capital items which are not included in the Operating Budget. The transfer of the lease of court and jail space from the Operating Budget, under the City Facilities section, is not a capital item. This would be a recurring expense, not a one time expense.

The public comment sessions that are currently planned are:

Monday, April 24, 6 to 8 p.m. at Union High School Grand Hall and Atrium, 6636 S. Mingo Road

Tuesday, April 25, 6 to 8 p.m. at OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center, 4502 E. 41st Street and

Monday, May 1, 6 to 8 p.m. at Greenwood Cultural Center, West Hall, 322 N. Greenwood Avenue

By May 24, 2023 the city would have the Ballot Language Approval with the election date of August 8, 2023.

Details of the proposed bond package, Improve our Tulsa III are:

Total Resources:  $772M

Streets and Transportation: $279.8M

  • Inflation Adjustment for Previously Approved Street Projects: $93.8M
  • Street Rehabilitation: $68M
  • Street Widening: $30M
  • Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation: $24M
  • Matching Funds: $21.6M
  • Traffic Engineering: $19.32M
  • American Disabilities Act (ADA): $10M
  • Sidewalks: $4.88M
  • Construction Completion Incentives: $4M
  • Engineering, Inspection and Testing: $3M
  • Alleys: $1.2M

City Facilities: $249.4M

  • Safety Training Center driving track overlay:  $4.4M
  • BOK Center: $6.4M
    • Building Improvements
    • Safety and Security
  • Convention Center: $18.8M
    • Roof Replacement
    • Building Improvements
    • Safety and Security
  • Tulsa Performing Arts Center: $79.7M
    • Building Updates (HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire Sprinkler, ADA, Update Dressing Rooms and Lighting
    • Chapman Hall (Reslope Seating Floor, New Seating and Aisles, New AV, Lighting, and Finishes, Acoustic Improvements, Reconfigure Pit Wall)
    • Loading Dock Enclosure (Expanded and Enclosed Semi Capacity, New Passenger Elevator and Dressing Room, Additional Story Above Enclosure
    • Design and Project Management
  • Parks: $31.9M
    • Page Belcher Golf Course
    • Mohawk Golf Course
    • Chamberlain and Berry Park Improvements
    • Johnson Park Rehabilitation
    • Parking Lot Rehabilitation
    • Roof Repairs
    • Repair and Conversion of Lighting
    • Mohawk Park Facilities Rehabilitation
    • Mohawk Road Repairs
    • HVAC Replacements
    • Regional Trail Repairs
    • Internal Loop Walk Repairs
    • Chamberlain Pool
    • Swan Lake
  • Public Safety Center: $47.5M
    • Building acquisition and relocation: $45M
    • Police-Courts Demolition
    • Lease Courts and Jail Space from Operating Budget
  • Zoo: $25.7M
    • Children’s Zoo
    • Roof Replacements
    • Rainforest Rehabilitation
    • Perimeter Risk Mitigation
  • Gilcrease Matching Funds: $10M
  • Zink Lake Infrastructure: $5M
  • Citywide Facility Maintenance: $20M

Capital Equipment: $152.8M

  • Tulsa Fire Department Fleet: $58.5M
  • Other Vehicles/Equipment/IT: $94.3M

Housing and Neighborhoods: $90M

  • Housing $75M: Combined with ARPA ($5M), DDRF ($8.1M), HOME-ARP ($5M) and Affordable Housing Trust Fund ($8.4M) and opioid settlement funds ($2.7M) to establish $104.2M TulsaHousing Initiative
  • Neighborhood Revitalization: $15M

The City of Tulsa website for this bond and sales tax initiative is www.improveourtulsa.com 03.22.23