Tulsa City Council Rejects Mayor's Warning On Grant

By Emory Bryan, The News on 6

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa City Council has not reconsidered the budget it approved last week, despite warnings from the Mayor it could endanger a federal grant to the city.

The Council made two amendments to the mayor's budget plan, adding money to several departments, but not police. The federal grant requires all departments share equally in cuts, so cities will not use federal money to pay officers and use local money for other needs.

After the council refused Monday to reconsider their amendments, Mayor Dewey Bartlett sent them a memo detailing his concerns that without changes, the City runs the risk of losing some federal funding.

Read the Mayor's letter to the City Council

Councilors GT Bynum and Chris Trail who authored the budget amendments, plan to make sure the federal grant is not jeopardized. They plan to have the council come to a consensus Thursday "pledging to take all necessary measures" to protect the grant money.

6/21/2010 Related Story: Tulsa City Council Declines To Reconsider New Budget