Bond issues, sales taxes going to voters

(AP)-The biggest bond issue in Oklahoma City history tops a list of bond and sales tax elections that will be decided Tuesday in cities and school districts across Oklahoma. <br><br>Oklahoma City's

Tuesday, December 12th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(AP)-The biggest bond issue in Oklahoma City history tops a list of bond and sales tax elections that will be decided Tuesday in cities and school districts across Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City's nine-part, $340.4 million municipal bond issue would improve streets, parks, libraries, and variety of other structures and equipment.

If approved, city property taxes will not increase because the new debt will replace expiring assessments from previous bond issues. If some or all of the propositions are defeated, property taxes will decline over a 20-year period.

The biggest proposal seeks $192.5 million to improve Oklahoma City's streets, many of them in residential areas.

Other improvements would pay for improvements to parks, $45.45 million; drainage, $40 million; bridges, $27.8 million; libraries, $13.6 million; traffic control systems; $7.6 million; fire facilities, $6.55 million; police facilities, $5.1 million; and animal welfare facilities, $2.15 million.

Voters in Edmond will decide whether to continue a 3/4-cent capital improvement sales tax and create a new 3/8-cent public safety sales tax.

City Manager Leonard Martin said continuation of the capital improvement tax would not increase the city's sales tax rate. The tax would take effect in September 2001, when the current sales tax expires.

The public safety tax will pay for staffing for an additional fire station, fire, police and emergency medical services personnel and police equipment. Residents would spend an additional 38 cents in sales tax on every $100 they spend.

Voters in the Midwest City-Del City School District will vote on a $7.1 million bond issue that would pay for improvements at 25 Mid-Del school campuses. The money would buy fine arts equipment and library books as well as pay for roofing and paving, fire safety and prevention and a variety of other school improvements.

Residents in the Mid-Del district will not pay additional property taxes if the bond issue is approved.

Voters in the Harrah School District will consider a $1.07 million bond issue to complete a connector building at the eighth and ninth grade center. A second $330,000 bond issue would purchase six school buses and a vocational agriculture truck for the district.

Approval of both issues would result in a ``slight tax increase,'' Harrah interim superintendent Lloyd Walker said.

A $1.65 million bond issue previously in the North Rock Creek School District in Pottawatomie County is on Tuesday's ballot. In April, the proposal fell just seven votes short of the 60 percent needed for approval.

The last time North Rock Creek passed a bond issue was in 1993 when it received $950,000 to build 12 classrooms.