Tulsa Asking Voters To Extend 'Improve Our Tulsa' Tax

Tulsa voters will be asked later this year to extend a sales tax for basic city services. The extension would collect an estimated $597 Million dollars to maintain streets and improve city buildings and parks. The “Improve Our Tulsa” tax is scheduled for the ballot in November.

Mayor G.T. Bynum considers this tax the basics for city services. "This is how we fund street work and replace police cars and fire trucks, keep roofs on city buildings from leaking and replace playground equipment at parks."

The city plans to start public meetings next month to explain the package to voters.

Improve Our Tulsa town hall meetings all will begin at 6 p.m. The dates and locations are as follows:

Tuesday, April 9 – Hardesty Regional Library Frossard Auditorium, 8316 E. 93^rd St.

Tuesday, April 16 – Lewis and Clark Elementary School Auditorium, 737 S. Garnett Road (Spanish language interpreters will be available at this meeting.)

Tuesday, April 30 – Booker T. Washington High School Auditorium, 1514 E. Zion St.

Tuesday, May 7 – Jewish Federation of Tulsa Sylvan Auditorium, 2021 E.71^st St.

Monday, May 13 – OU-Tulsa Schusterman Learning Center Perkins Auditorium, 4502 E. 41^st St.

The City of Tulsa reports that since the last “Improve Our Tulsa” package:

Twenty-two neighborhood street rehabilitation projects and 11 arterial street rehabilitation projects are completed, with 13 projects currently under construction. The rest of the projects are in various stages of design.

The largest Improve Our Tulsa street project completed so far is Riverside Drive between 24^th Street and 33^rd Place. Also completed are nearby rehabilitation projects on East 31^st Street between Riverside Drive and Peoria Avenue, and on Riverside between Joe Creek and 81^st Street.

Other completed projects include North Mingo Road, East 36^th Street to East 46^th Street; the North Mingo Road and East 46th Street intersection; East 51^st Street, South Sheridan Road to South Memorial Drive; the East 61^st Street and South Sheridan Road intersection, and South Sheridan Road, East 81^st Street to East 91^st Street.

Some non-street projects completed include the new Lost Kingdom exhibit at Tulsa Zoo, new playgrounds at Lacy Park and Hunter Park, and the new McClure Park pool.

The City is asking for feedback on the program through Feedback Tulsa at www.feedbacktulsa.org