How will the council vote on Annexation?

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Waterboy quoted.

Good points Conan. Jeannie McDaniels was there, made an effort to calm both sides. She will carry that message back.
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She was the unofficial greeter of city hall for years.  She has been a mediator before so the soothing of both factions, was not an approach that would be alien to her past performances.  She should have been Mayor but her ideals were set on the higher plain..   It has worked well with her as instead of aging she seems to have gotten younger. (Dorian Gray)

There is no reason to point the finger at the little retailer.  The mom and pop stores that made change out of a cigar box has disappeared in this time of mega giants that control the retail markets.  Only the internet sales can compete.  Even then the merchandise purchased by the purchaser is not reported as taxable to the city.  The solution would be for UPS to collect the taxes when the item is delivered.  

The internet seller could furnish the city with all sales delivered within the city each month.  The tax code will allow the tax to be collected on garage and want add sales.  We need a thousand tax collectors to check out all the after market sales.

As mentioned before the vote was secured on the second floor of City Hall on the pigeon run where the councilors sit in the little cubby holes and can hold a meeting without leaving their desk.

Will the mayor use the veto threat to bring the county commissioners on line to support additional property taxes on the working poor and aging retirees?   It is all in the Monopoly game that is being  played with the citizen.  

The time may come when we have to revaluate the actual needs of the citizens and adjust where we can meet those needs with the money available.   It might come to where we have to throw off some dead weight instead of imposing more taxes and fees..

[Breadburner]

In the end annexation was the right choice....Nothing will change..Except the collection of much needed revenue...

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by Steve[/i]
Her honor Taylor could still veto.  Anyone think she will?

I don't think so. I think she will respect the wishes of the council on this matter.

[shadows]

The mayor has a real strong auguring point as  it stands.   It can be a political swap off  with the county commission which it seems to be in line with the 5-4 vote setting a could be blackmail option.  The mayor has only to say "if you will help me increase the property taxes I'll stamp the veto on it but if you don't agree then I'll do nothing and it will become effective without me having to answer to the citizens if it does not produce the promised revenue.".

It can be seen as a well laid plan of men and nice.   It is all on the Monopoly Board Game.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:

WB- you and I seem to be on the same page.

I felt the fix was in before the meeting, so anyone speaking prior to the vote was just wasting oxygen.  The account of the meeting in this morning's Whirled stated as much.

Enforcement of accurate sales tax collection during the fair and large multi-vendor shows like the flea market and gun shows will be the proverbial cluster-f#$%.  It's another source of revenue which will be difficult to collect on.  Good luck getting out of state vendors to honestly report all cash sales during a two week fair.  That, in itself, would require more manpower to enforce than the city can afford.

The only easy method for accountability are the contract concessionaires in the various buildings, admissions, and a flat fee vendor/participant (for car shows, horse shows, and the Chili Bowl) charge which will be un-fairly distributed amongst vendors.

I wouldn't call this envisioned sales tax boon a pipe-dream, more like a fantasy.

Instead of chasing fairy-tale dollars, I think the city needs to engage our local legislators to buck up in OKC and demand a rebate of state sales tax collections or a share in oil tax revenues to account for the suburban retail sprawl instead of trying to create more difficult-to-enforce revenue streams.

Good points Conan. Jeannie McDaniels was there, made an effort to calm both sides. She will carry that message back.

If you ever do business with a small retailer and you notice they make cash change with the till open or insist on cash only, Bingo!, you've found a retailer who is unlikely to be showing the true amount of sales to OTC. Calling the county on what is common throughout the city was nasty work.

I would assume that other states and municipalities which charge sales tax have raised their property taxes and income taxes due to e-commerce sales which have changed the tax base over the years and made sales tax a less reliable source of revenue.  

What is the point in passing more difficult to comply with and more difficult to enforce sales tax laws?   What is the point in annexing property for which on the surface it appears it will be a total wash between collectible revenue and cost.

Then there are areas with no sales tax which have not faced financial crisis due to suburban sprawl and e-commerce.

I think Oklahoma, Tulsa specifically, is getting behind the curve on how to collect revenue in these times.

[Breadburner]

I don't think it's going to be a wash at all......I really liked Martinson's comments have to give him credit for wading through all the B.S....And watching Eagleton punish Brewster was nice to see as well...To me Christiansen sold out to his voters and the G.O.B...His voters obviously bought into the counties hype and hysteria and Chritiansen did nothing to tell them otherwise...

[Conan71]

Let's revisit the issue July 1, 2008.  I think the council will be quite a bit more muted in the benefits the fairgrounds will have brought by then.

[rwarn17588]

When does the annexation actually take effect?

[MichaelC]

I believe I saw June 1, 2007.  Might be mistaken.

Check out Fox23's brilliant assessment.

quote:(TULSA, Okla.)April 5 - The Tulsa City Council has voted 5 to 4 in favor of annexation of the Tulsa Fairgrounds.

Many on the council did voice concerns about the annexation.

Unless the mayor vetoes the vote, the city now controls the fairgrounds, instead of the county.

The city has not yet announced a plan about how to police the fairgrounds

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelC

I believe I saw June 1, 2007.  Might be mistaken.

Check out Fox23's brilliant assessment.

quote:(TULSA, Okla.)April 5 - The Tulsa City Council has voted 5 to 4 in favor of annexation of the Tulsa Fairgrounds.

Many on the council did voice concerns about the annexation.

Unless the mayor vetoes the vote, the city now controls the fairgrounds, instead of the county.

The city has not yet announced a plan about how to police the fairgrounds

Ah, give 'em a break, Fox23 is just a bunch of kids...[]