TULSA, Okla. — Tulsans will soon decide the fate of a more than $800 million funding package for city improvements.
The language for the package has been in the works for months now.
After some revisions, city councilors approved the language of the ballot measure Wednesday and will send it to the election board where it'll go to the ballot for a vote.
The Improve Our Tulsa funding package has increased since we last reported on this topic.
At the start of May, it was a $772 million initiative — now it's $814 million.
After getting citizen feedback in town hall meetings in April and May, the city added another $42 million to the plan.
- Previous coverage >>> Mayor Bynum adds $42 million to proposed Improve Our Tulsa
Although, the city says it still won't raise taxes.
What it will do is fund critical improvements to city facilities, as well as capital improvements for street maintenance, housing, and neighborhoods, and public safety equipment like fire trucks.
"In our garage here. It's full of trucks all the time because this like this truck here, this truck right here is a 2005. So it's almost 20 years old, and our policy says they're supposed to be out of reserve," Andrew Little with the Tulsa Fire Department explained. "That's gone in eight years. But we have a truck that's almost 20 years old. And this particular truck is a reserve. But, you know, it's just, it's a revolving door of trucks being broken down."
The Tulsa Fire Department is working on a backlog of improvements. It says there was a freeze on buying new trucks for a decade. Now the department is playing catch up trying to get new trucks ordered.
This is big because, as Little said, firefighters are in the business of readiness, and if the trucks don't run, they can't deliver services.
- Previous coverage >>> Road improvement a top priority for Improve Our Tulsa
That is just one aspect this funding package will work to address.
To break things down, this package includes:
- $295.8 million for streets and transportation, including street widening.
- $270.4 million for city facility upgrades and maintenance.
- $152.8 million for the city's fleet, including fire trucks.
- $95 million for housing and neighborhood needs.
With the language for the ballot measure approved, it heads to the election board, where Tulsans will get to vote on it come August 8.
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