Wagoner County to vote on hotly debated sales tax propositions

WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — There will be a slate of special elections across Green Country on Tuesday, Mar. 5.

However, one has really split votersover in Wagoner County.

Wagoner County residents will vote on eight ballot measures. Seven of them would raise sales taxes throughout the county, something many residents and officials have fiercely opposed.

That opposition was on full display at protests in the City of Wagoner.

• Wagoner County voters protest against proposed sales tax hikes

Here's a breakdown of the eight propositions.

• PROPOSITION #1: Make the 0.80% for County Roads and Bridges sales tax permanent. The stated purpose is to "secure vital infrastructure funding."
• PROPOSITION #2: Make the 0.10% sales tax for Sheriff’s Department operations permanent.
• PROPOSITION #3: Make the 0.10% sales tax for County General Fund permanent.
• PROPOSITION #4: Reallocates half of the 0.30% permanent fire tax to a County-wide ambulance authority. Citizen tax dollars divided between two types of Public Safety needs. Ambulance services for unincorporated Wagoner County are borrowed from municipalities and neighboring counties
• PROPOSITION #5: A new 0.125% temporary sales tax levy for the purpose of creating parking and pedestrian access to the County Courthouse. In addition, a new entry and needed renovations on the Courthouse complex for the needs of County offices.
• PROPOSITION #6: A new 0.25% sales tax levy for the funding of a Criminal Justice Authority (Jail Trust).
• PROPOSITION #7: A new 0.125% temporary sales tax levy for the funding of a Wagoner County Fairgrounds. Tax Goal over 30 years: $10M.
• PROPOSITION #8: County Lodging Excise Tax of 5%.

The county offers a full, line-by-line breakdown and charts in a slideshow on its website.

To check out where your polling place is, visit the Oklahoma Voter Portal.

The polls will be open from 7 am to 7 pm on Tuesday.

• PREVIOUS REPORTING >>> County wide ambulance proposition stirring controversy in Wagoner County

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