The Oklahoma State Capital

With a majority of 541 votes, Edmond residents turned out on a snowy Tuesday to approve the Capital Improvements Bond Issue. In a 2,486 to 1,945 majority citizens said yes to indefinitely extending a 3/4 cents sales tax that will pay for Parks-Recreation, public safety, public works, and transportation improvements in Edmond. This tax was initially approved in 1996 under the condition that it would be a temporary tax. The tax would have expired in December of 2001 but will now be in effect indefinitely.

Edmond will provide these improvements by taking out $220 Million of Revenue bonds over the next 25 years. These bonds will be paid back by proceeds from the continued sales tax. The alternative would have been to finance the improvements with General Obligation bonds. This would have raised local property taxes. Edmond leaders preferred to finance the improvements by simply continuing to collect the 3/4 cents sales tax.

A citizen oversight board will be charged with the task of insuring that this income is only spent on these capital improvements. This will help insure that none of the sales tax funds are used for other city business.

In a second decision Edmond residents also approved a 3/8 cents tax hike to pay for public safety improvements. With a 2,630 to 1,802 vote the tax hike was approved. These funds should be spent on additional firefighters, fire investigators, fire safety officers and police personnel.

The resulting effect of these propositions being approved is a local sales tax rate of 7.75%. Edmond which has been traditionally known for being at the lower end of the metro area sales tax spectrum now solidifies its place in the middle of that same spectrum although the Edmond tax rate remains slightly lower than that of Oklahoma City.

In the event citizens wish to reverse the new taxes an initiative petition process could be called for.