Street Plan Could Face Roadblocks

A roadblock could lie ahead for the plan to repair Tulsa's streets.  On Friday, the Tulsa Fire Department joined the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police in opposing the package over fears it will cut into their budgets.  The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports the first roadblock is in the mayor's office.

The mayor first came up with the idea of a comprehensive solution to Tulsa's streets and named the panel which came up with the basic framework.

As it came together into a $2 billion solution, the mayor backed off and now sounds like she's ready to turn it down.

Tulsa's streets are under repair, but not nearly fast enough to make up for years of decay.  After months of talking about the problem, the Tulsa City Council decided on a solution Thursday night.

It was a split vote, 5-to-4, that sent the mayor a package bigger than she wants.  And, Mayor Taylor is suggesting she might veto it outright.

"That still has to come to my desk to review and sign, so if the voters have an opinion about what happened last night, I would encourage them to call me and call the council because it's not on the ballot yet," said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor.

The package approved by the council prioritizes city spending on streets and bridges.  But, several councilors worry it obligates the city for too much for too long.  Councilor Bill Martinson says that's not what the voters have been asking for.

"They want the streets fixed and don't be bringing anything else to us until you fix the streets and that's what we're doing," said City Councilor Bill Martinson.

The $2 billion package is opposed by the police officers union and the fire department, over worries the street work will cut into their budget.

"The longer term plan locks us into a situation where eventually small little funding issues become staffing issues and service delivery issues down the road," said Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker.

The opposition doesn't faze Martinson, who is convinced voters want the streets fixed first.

"I think what we do is let the citizens decide if they want a comprehensive solution to fixing the streets," said Tulsa City Councilor Bill Martinson.

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