Tulsa City Council Has Mayor's Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Budget

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor&#39;s first budget plan for Tulsa calls for increased city spending - and higher utility rates. That&#39;s among the highlights of Taylor&#39;s $545-million plan. <br/><br/>News

Monday, May 1st 2006, 10:33 am

By: News On 6


Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor's first budget plan for Tulsa calls for increased city spending - and higher utility rates. That's among the highlights of Taylor's $545-million plan.

News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan says the mayor said she and the finance director have shared a lot of meals over the last 3 weeks. Through all that, she's come up with a plan that avoids any real cuts.

21 days into the new administration, Mayor Taylor explained her plan for how the city should spend the public's money for the next year.

It's a giant document, detailing where the city expects to get money and where Taylor wants it spent. Part of it details Tulsa's promise - part of it chronicles Tulsa problems. "In Tulsa County retail sales tax continues to grow. The city of Tulsa's portion of that was 85% in the 1990's and down to 75% in 2000.”

To look at an executive summary of the mayor's proposed budget, CLICK HERE [pdf file].

The city budget for last year was $508-million and the mayor's proposed budget is $545 million. It balances by expecting sales tax to grow, counts on higher utility rates and keeps most city services at current levels.

The Tulsa Police Department would get just 40 new officers - which is only enough to replace the ones who retire. The Tulsa Fire Department would get 36 recruits over the next year, keeping the fire service staffed at its current level.

For the first time, EMSA would be subsidized with $1.9-million from the city to make up for reductions in Medicaid reimbursements.

With the mayor's budget in hand, the city council has two months to review it. The Mayor and city council have to agree on a balanced budget by July 1.

Mayor Taylor said there is enough growth to offer city employees a pay raise, but the higher cost of fuel is eating into the city budget. "So many of those items which won't cause a crisis and can be delayed will be unless we can find other sources of revenue or other opportunities."

Tulsa city councilor Rick Westcott: "As kind of an outside looking in for the last few years, it seems the drastic cuts have already been made and I'm not sure we could have stood any across the board cuts."

And as for those swimming pools that were on and off again during the LaFortune administration, Taylor says all nine of the pools that are in shape to be opened - will be opened this summer.
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