Tulsa City Council Plans Override Veto

By Emory Bryan, The News on 6

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa City Council plans to vote Thursday night on overriding Mayor Dewey Bartlett's veto of their changes to the budget.

The city council added and redirected $3.2 million through two budget amendments Mayor Bartlett vetoed.

6/23/2010 Related Story: Tulsa Mayor Vetoes City Council's Budget Changes

The council amendments provided money to buy fuel for police helicopters, buy salt and sand for winter street cleanup, restore highway lighting, buy pothole repair material, restore pay cuts for firefighters and eliminate four furlough days for city employees.

Most of the funding was from money in reserve accounts, which would otherwise roll over into the new budget year. Mayor Bartlett has defended the veto by arguing the city cannot support the cost of the added services over the long term.

Bartlett told The News On 6 his concern was over the source of the money.

"That's where my disagreement is with the city council" said Bartlett. "We need to have a consistent, annual, every year source of revenue to pay for these projects. Otherwise, we're going to be short of money again."

If the veto override fails, the budget as proposed by the mayor and adopted by the council will take effect without the spending changes.

Separately, the council will consider new changes to the budget that would spend $300,000 on positions in the economic development and human rights departments.

6/28/2010 Related Story: Tulsa City Council This Week to Discuss Budget, Privatization and Terry Simonson