Rogers County Special Election Called To Pay Court Judgment

The Rogers County Board of Commissioners has set June 26, 2012 as a special election to decide on a 1/3 cent sales tax to pay back $22.1 million the county owes in a court judgment.

The commissioners' decision comes after the Oklahoma Supreme Court in March declined to hear an appeal in a 2009 court judgment in the Material Services vs. Rogers County case.

The sales tax, if approved, would be collected over a 15-year period.

Material Services, which leased 300 acres in Rogers County in the late 90's to mine limestone, filed suit after the county's Planning and Zoning Commission annexed 100,000 acres of land and rezoned it. The land included the 300 acres leased by the company and the rezoning prevented the company from mining the limestone. Material Services challenged the annexation and zoning and won.

3/9/2012 Related Story: Judgment Against Rogers County Ensures Tax Hike

If the sales tax is defeated in the June vote, Rogers County would pay the judgment with proceeds from county property taxes. That would mean a tax increase amounting to more than $100 per year on a $100,000 home.