CATOOSA, Okla. — Voters in Catoosa will decide on two ballot measures.
The Aug. 8 election features a measure regarding PSO's agreement with the city. The existing agreement has PSO giving the city 2% of revenue. A vote in favor of the measure would increase the revenue share to 3%. City Manager John Blish tells 2 News Oklahoma that money would be spent on public safety.
The safety of Catoosa is important to Blish — considering he and other city leaders want more tourists coming to town.
The other ballot measure is asking voters to increase the lodging tax from 5% to 8%. Blish says that money will also be earmarked for public safety. A previous version of this story indicated the money would be put toward improving tourist attractions in town.
"We want to be a destination," Blish said, "The biggest part about being a destination is being able to draw those people in and have them stay at least a couple of days.
Blish thinks two sites in Catoosa bring visitors to town more than anything else; the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and the Blue Whale.
The city recently took control of the Blue Whale property, making some minor improvements to its cleanliness and accessibility. Looking forward, they hope to make more major improvements, like paving the walking trail, and creating better access to the pond on the west side of the property.
"We continue to hope that we can draw more visitors to the Blue Whale," Blish said.
Through all of these efforts, Blish is promising residents that the city will maintain its small-town charm.
"We want to keep it that way, but yet we still want to have the amenities larger towns do," Blish said.
Voters — in any election — can see information regarding their polling place, voter registration, and sample ballots by visiting the Oklahoma Voter Portal.
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