Muskogee City Propositions Postponed

Muskogee city leaders are heading back to the drawing board after canceling an upcoming election that would have provided millions of dollars in city upgrades if passed. The bond and sales tax extension faced opposition from many residents.

Supporters and opponents of the bond and tax extension agree that improvements are needed in Muskogee but disagree on how to make them happen. The vote was scheduled to take place next month, but now the date is up in the air.

Muskogee mayor Patrick Cale ran for office with the hope of making improvements to the city. His support of the nearly $80 million bond and sales tax proposal was supposed to be on ballots on August 27 but now is off the table.

Cale says a recent $6.5 million settlement involving the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office will fall on taxpayers, so tacking on the propositions is too much to ask.

“It would’ve been over a 30 percent increase,” said Cale. “Between the two, we can’t do it.”

The propositions, which would have paid for police and fire improvements, new streets, and other upgrades, also faced opposition from a group of Muskogee residents.

“There needs to be improvements, but I’m not sure $11 million is necessary for a police station,” said Mark Hughes, Muskogee resident.

Hughes and others did not like the plan on how to make those improvements.

“We’re not against Muskogee, we’re not against improving Muskogee,” said Hughes. “We’re against the way the city council wants to do it by raising property taxes for 25 years. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Cale says the growing opposition is enough reason to call off the vote and re-group. Despite the setback, Cale says the vision remains clear and hopes to get the items back on ballots after more people and committees get involved in the process.

“We may spend 12 months working on a plan that the community can agree with,” said Cale.

Hughes and other people signed petitions to get an audit of the city before the bond and tax extension proposals were introduced. The city says that is underway but the mayor says the calls for an audit have nothing to do with the package.