OKC MAPS PROJECTS – 25 YEARS
Better Streets, Safer City . Approved on Sept. 12, 2017, by voters, the Better Streets, Safer City program included 13 bond propositions and two sales tax initiatives that invested invests in streets, police and fire facilities, parks and other basic needs. Better Streets, Safer City temporarily extended the MAPS 3 1 cent sales tax for an additional 27 months (through March 2020) to generate $240 million for infrastructure. Initiatives include $168 million for street resurfacing, $24 million for streetscapes, $24 million for sidewalks, $12 million for trails and $12 million for bicycle infrastructure. 20 The vote included approval of a 10-year series of bond issues totaling $967 million to invest in streets, police and fire facilities, parks, and other basic infrastructure needs. 21 The 2017 bond succeeded the bond program passed in 2007. Initiatives include streets and sidewalks ($491 million), traffic control ($28 million), bridges ($27 million), parks and recreation ($138 million), drainage control ($62 million), economic and community development ($60 million), fire ($45 million), police ($31 million), libraries ($24 million), transit ($20 million), civic center complex and city buildings ($20 million), city maintenance facilities ($13 million), and downtown arena ($9 million). 22 The final component is a permanent one-fourth cent sales tax rate increase to support increased public safety. The funds are intended to hire 129 more police officers and 57 more firefighters. The tax will generate an estimated $26 million annually to the general fund. The city sales tax rate increased from 3.875% to 4.125% on January 1, 2018, which, along with the state share of 4.5%, pushes the total rate to 8.625%. This represents the first permanent increase in the general sales tax rate in Oklahoma City since 1976. MAPS 4 . In October 2018, Mayor David Holt and the Oklahoma City Council announced efforts to collect ideas from the public for potential MAPS 4 projects. Mayor Holt and councilmembers heard presentations for potential MAPS 4 projects during a series of special meetings in July and August 2019, and in September, City Council called for a MAPS 4 vote on Dec. 10, 2019. If passed, the MAPS 4 program would include 16 projects addressing Oklahoma City’s human needs, jobs and economy, neighborhood needs, and quality-of-life issues. Keeping the tradition of past MAPS programs, MAPS 4 would make transparent debt-free investments in transformational projects designed to move Oklahoma City forward.
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