Oklahoma County commissioners declined a sales tax proposal to fund the new county jail, citing confusion over its legal qualifications for an August ballot, but they hope to bring the measure to voters in November.
Background of the Proposal
Interim County Commissioner Paul Foster, District 3, explained the background of the proposal. Commissioner Lowe presented a five-eighths cent sales tax in January, but Foster calculated that a half cent would work just fine for the county.
Despite Foster’s calculations, other commissioners expressed concerns about the timing and legalities of the proposal. Commissioner Jason Lowe, District 1, said, “We obviously need to further vet this proposal. One commissioner indicates we’re out of time, one says we’re not.”
Commissioner Brian Maughan added, “I was only aware of this when it appeared on our agenda yesterday.” Foster remains optimistic about the possibility of presenting the sales tax proposal to voters later this year.
Foster also expressed hope for a resolution, saying, “There’s still hope for a sales tax for the new jail, and I’m assuming you hope we can come to an agreement and push it forward? I certainly hope so. I was disappointed that we didn’t get it to move further today. But it’s still a vote of the people.”
Commissioners warned that if voters do not approve the sales tax, the Department of Justice could take over the project, potentially increasing costs. Maughan said, “It’s always a risk, and we need to finish what we started.”
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
