Skiatook Seeks Voter Approval For Sales Tax Increase To Improve Emergency Services

After seeing a sales tax vote fail in August last year, Skiatook is now bringing a revised version of the sales tax to voters. This one would go toward improving police, fire, and EMS infrastructure.

On the ballot is a penny sales tax, or a one percent sales tax, which would last for 15 years starting in April next year.

Skiatook city sales tax is currently 3.5 percent. A "yes" on this proposition would bring it up to 4.5 percent for 15 years.

The money would go toward building a new police, fire, and EMS station that first responders said is desperately needed.

The last time people voted on increasing sales tax, first responders said there was confusion that that money would have been used on things other than police, fire, and EMS.

"We spent a lot of time being more direct so that people know where their money is actually going to go to. And so I think with clarifying a lot of things, people feel more comfortable knowing what's going to be involved with the money we're spending," Austin Murphy, Skiatook EMT Firefighter said.

In addition to the police, fire, and EMS facility that would be built, a second fire station would also be built in town. Election day is November 14.