Glenpool Voters To Decide On Extending Penny Sales Tax

The city of Glenpool wants to keep a penny sales tax when it expires to pay for more city projects.

Voters will decide on the issue Tuesday, August 25.

City Manager David Tillotson said extending the tax is important because it's helped with numerous projects over the past two decades.

"Water, sewer projects, lift stations issues, road work, new police cars, fire trucks,” Tillotson said.

If voters decide to end the sales tax, the city faces a loss of $1.9 million this year, which means future projects will have to wait until the city can figure out where to get the money.

Tillotson said some of the money from the tax also goes toward paying down a $43.8 million capital improvement debt.

"The debt will remain in place even if this vote doesn't go away,” Tillotson said.

With how much growth coming, Tillotson believes the sales tax is a much-needed asset.

"Knowing what exactly is going to happen I can't tell you, but what I can say is our building permits are growing again, residential permits,” Tillotson said.

Residents will go to the polls next Tuesday to decide whether to extend the tax. If it passes, the City Council will approve any future projects.