Oklahoma City voters say ‘yes’ to MAPS 3 proposal

[Laramie]

"Hoping to continue Oklahoma City's renaissance, voters on Tuesday passed a far-reaching MAPS 3 initiative aimed at continuing citywide progress that began with the first MAPS in 1993.

Oklahoma City's golden age continues," Mayor Mick Cornett said at a watch party for the Yes for MAPS campaign as red, white and blue confetti blasted into the air. "Let's enjoy this. Let's take stock of who we are and keep in mind we're creating a city our kids and our grandkids are going to be proud of for generations to come."

The penny sales tax that will pay for the $777 million package passed with more than 54 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting.

Voter turnout was about 31 percent, about twice as high as a typical city election, said Doug Sanderson, Oklahoma County Election Board secretary.

The final vote was 40,956 yes, 34,465 no.

The MAPS 3 tax will last seven years and nine months when it begins April 1..."

Oklahoma City is continuing to push its status as not only a "break-through city (first major league franchise);" but, as a big league city.  

These projects will be paid in full as the taxes are collected over a seven year period.  


Read more (link & video): http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-voters-say-yes-to-maps-3-proposal/article/3423715?custom_click=lead_story_title#ixzz0ZDJ9Wafl

MAPS 3 Projects Link:  http://www.newsok.com/maps3

The Ford Center-NBA Hoops Tax 2008-10 will be extended and the Ford Center improvements & Thunder practice facility will be paid off in March 2010. The completion of the Ford Center Phase III and the Thunder practice facililty will be completed this summer - 2010.  

[RecycleMichael]

That is an incredibly low voter turnout for such a big funding package.

[Townsend]

That is an incredibly low voter turnout for such a big funding package.

Oklahoma, it's how things are done 'round here.

[RecycleMichael]

No...it is how things are done around there. The story says that this was twice the voter turnout from a typical OKC city election.

That is one of my fears of non-partisan elections. The two party system has many faults, but people do get worked up enough to go to the polls.

[Townsend]

No, it's how it's done here too.

Records at the Tulsa County Election Board show that within Tulsa city limits there are 95,176 Republicans, 91,875 Democrats and 25,105 Independents registered to vote as of August 1, 2009. In the last three mayoral elections the average voter turnout was from 30 to 35 percent of all registered voters.

That's with the two party system getting us worked up.

http://www.gtrnews.com/greater-tulsa-reporter/4207/tulsa-independent-voters-a-growing-voice


2009 Tulsa Mayoral general election[7]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Tom Adelson 24,211 36.34%
Republican Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr. 29,948 44.95%
Independent Mark Perkins 11,913 17.88%
Independent Lawrence Kirkpatrick 560 0.84%
Totals 66,843 100%
Voter turnout 29.84%

Edited to add yesterday's turnout  for Broken Arrow and Jenks:

http://www.tulsacounty.org/electionboard/EB_PDF/Election_Results/Election%20Results%20December%208,%202009.pdf

10.56%...STELLAR

That included the largest school bond election in state history.

It's how we do things 'round here.

[Townsend]

What was the voter turn-out for the Islands in the Stream project?

[FOTD]

Tax and spend....classic. Some pollster might want to correlate the votes from a partisan Federal election and compare attitudes of those who voted on Maps. Just guessing, but more of the same slush fund for the elite to manipulate taxes from the low end to the high end. What income groups turned out to vote? Who voted no and why? Do the voters generally vote republican because they fear tax and spend government?

With unemployment still climbing in this state, one would hope the government would be giving a hand up. Instead, drastic cuts and further hits to health, education, and local municipalities. Do you think those that can least afford it are paying a greater price than those who voted this in?

The OKC tax was for the banks and real estate investors but mostly their shill Chamber of Commerce.
OKshitty always was and always will be. The best thing going for them is Norman.

Tulsa sets a better example letting private foundations and philanthropic people who believe in giving back to their community take the lead with government assistance.

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

When does Vision 2025 part 2 come out?  We need to compete with OKC.  They are getting a fancy new Central Park and a street car.

[waterboy]

We have a nice Central Park. We renamed it Centennial but its pretty nice too.

We also have a rubber wheeled streetcar operation. I see it lumbering around town occassionally. Sometimes with people on it.

Are you being sarcastic? I don't think Tulsans support the kind of things OKC has/is doing. We've had over a decade to compete with them if we wanted to and our V2025 projects have a different flavor to them.

I'm glad they passed it and wish them well. It will be worth a visit.

[Vision 2025]

What was the voter turn-out for the Islands in the Stream project?

There was never a vote for that project

[Townsend]

There was never a vote for that project

My bad.  The river improvement vote failed partly due to many people thinking they were voting on building huge islands.

[okcpulse]

Tax and spend....classic. Some pollster might want to correlate the votes from a partisan Federal election and compare attitudes of those who voted on Maps. Just guessing, but more of the same slush fund for the elite to manipulate taxes from the low end to the high end. What income groups turned out to vote? Who voted no and why? Do the voters generally vote republican because they fear tax and spend government?

With unemployment still climbing in this state, one would hope the government would be giving a hand up. Instead, drastic cuts and further hits to health, education, and local municipalities. Do you think those that can least afford it are paying a greater price than those who voted this in?

The OKC tax was for the banks and real estate investors but mostly their shill Chamber of Commerce.
OKshitty always was and always will be. The best thing going for them is Norman.

Tulsa sets a better example letting private foundations and philanthropic people who believe in giving back to their community take the lead with government assistance.

Or are you just hacked that OKC passed MAPS 3?  The tax rate doesn't even change.  OKC has been paying 8.375%
since 1993, I think people... rich and poor... are used to it by now. 

Oklahoma City's public investment in this package is $777 million, yet private investment is hitting $5 billion.
How's that for private philanthropy?  The Oklahoma City Museum of Art was private.  Myriad Gardens improvements are
being funded by Devon.  Many of the projects on the Oklahoma River are private.  If it weren't for MAPS, Devon Energy
would have relocated to Houston.  The company founder said so himself.  Now they are in the midst of building a
$750 million office tower. 

Sheesh, so much hate.  Especially when Tulsa's Vision 2025 is public money.

[FOTD]

Or are you just hacked that OKC passed MAPS 3?  The tax rate doesn't even change.  OKC has been paying 8.375%
since 1993, I think people... rich and poor... are used to it by now.  

Oklahoma City's public investment in this package is $777 million, yet private investment is hitting $5 billion.
How's that for private philanthropy?  The Oklahoma City Museum of Art was private.  Myriad Gardens improvements are
being funded by Devon.  Many of the projects on the Oklahoma River are private.  If it weren't for MAPS, Devon Energy
would have relocated to Houston.  The company founder said so himself.  Now they are in the midst of building a
$750 million office tower.  

Sheesh, so much hate.  Especially when Tulsa's Vision 2025 is public money.

No hate here....just am glad OKC is down the pike and not here in Tulsa. The state crapitol will always be better funded than T town.

You have me standing corrected.

How much will it cost in the future to maintain these projects and how will that be funded?

Devon is no sure bet....but they have a solid fix on how to enhance their property investments on the public dole...

[JLCinOKC]

Actually Devon is forgoing the $195 million TIF funds and returning them to the City for downtown improvements including $45 million for upgrades to the Myriad Gardens.  They've advanced the City $90 million to get the projects started now.

[MsProudSooner]

I've lived in Tulsa or a Tulsa suburb since 1969.  Right now, the only thing Tulsa has going for it that is better than OKC is the natural setting of the city.  Otherwise, it's positively stagnant. 

Oklahoma City's leaders and it's citizens have shown foresite, vision and the willingess to invest in improving their city with the passage of MAPS, MAPS for Kids, the MAPS improvements to the Ford Center and MAPS 3.  Tulsa has been burdened by poor leadership and and leaders with no vision.   

How many years will it be before Tulsa is officially a suburb of Broken Arrow, Jenks and Owasso?