Edmond gets $500,000 more sales tax money

Edmond voters in 2000 voted 3/4 of a cent sales tax increase to be designated for capital projects. The task force oversees the money and projects voters said they wanted accomplished when the tax was approved.

Over the last six months, VanderHamm said, spending on building materials has been huge, partly for roof repairs from the summer hailstorm.

City Manager Larry Stevens said Edmond had a 55 percent increase in construction permits for single-family homes compared to the previous year. For 2012, there were 603 permits, up from 387 in 2011.

“For the past two and a half years this number has continued to go up, following a four-and-a-half-year period of decline,” Stevens said. “This is encouraging.”

Commercial permits increased from 14 to 23 when comparing the two years. The city manager called it a “healthy increase.”

“The numbers are pointing in a positive direction,” Stevens said.

Ken Rees, task force chairman, said, “This is awful good news.”

Shoppers in Edmond pay 8.25 percent sales tax on purchases; 4.5 percent goes to the state and 3.75 percent is returned to the city. Of the city's portion, 2 percent goes to the general fund and remaining half cent to the public safety center. The remaining city sales tax money that does not go into the general fund is divided among firefighters, the police department and capital improvements as designated by voters.