MAPS 3 could generate public safety money, Oklahoma City says
By John Estus
Comments 
46
Published: November 12, 2009
Oklahoma City officials announced today plans to use MAPS 3-related revenue for public safety if voters approve the package next month.
Multimedia
Related content
Links
NewsOK Related Articles
The city's police and fire unions oppose MAPS 3 because it does not include money specifically for public safety.
"I can assure you that if MAPS does not pass, our public safety issues multiply," Mayor Mick Cornett said at a news conference called in response to union opposition to MAPS 3.
Cornett said if MAPS 3 passes, the city will give MAPS 3 use tax revenue to public safety.
Use taxes are charged instead of sales taxes to businesses who buy items from outside Oklahoma City for use within the city. A use tax typically accompanies a voter-approved sales tax.
City records show public safety has received $60 million of use tax revenue from MAPS For Kids, which passed in 2001. The money has been used for public safety capital projects.
Union officials said they would have no comment on the use tax plan or MAPS 3 until a news conference Friday.
The unions are locked in a work contract dispute with the city concerning staffing and pay. Union officials have formed a campaign committee called "Not This MAPS," claiming the city needs to first deal with understaffing in the police and fire departments.
Cornett declined to discuss specifics of the latest contract offer the city made to the unions this past week, but said MAPS 3 use tax revenue could pay for additional police officers and firefighters in addition to capital projects.
"The MAPS use tax can be used to help ensure that public safety remains a top priority. We will not have that option if MAPS 3 does not pass," Cornett said.
Sagging sales tax revenues have forced the city to make across the board budget cuts this year. Layoffs are possible if revenue continues to decline.
District Attorney David Prater said he's convinced the city has a good plan to address the staffing concerns that are at the heart of the unions' opposition to MAPS 3 and their contract dispute.
Prater, a former police officer, said the use tax plan guarantees no police officers will lose their jobs in the next two years. He also said the plan convinced him to support MAPS 3.
"My concern all along, as far as about a year ago, was talking about increasing our public safety and I believe this proposal right now does exactly that," Prater said.
Ward 1 Councilman Gary Marrs, a former fire chief, said he's upset about union claims that the city doesn't adequately support public safety. He noted that two-thirds of the city's annual general fund budget goes to public safety.
"I don't know how you can say we don't support public safety when you make that kind of commitment on a yearly basis," Marrs said, also citing past bond issues that included money for public safety.
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
And our riverwalk isn't, as big San Antonio's, our arch isn't as big as St. Louis', our sea-port isn't as nice as Corpus Christi's, & our crime rate isn't is big as Houston's..... at least not yet.
There is a lot of room for improvement with what we already have. There is a city surrounding downtown that needs some attention too.
The first MAPS generated over 5 billion dollars in revenue for the city, from an investment of a little over 300 hundred million. Since our police and fire departments get three quarters of a cent from our sales tax, they'll get $590 million during the time when the city will be collecting money for MAPS 3. That is in addition to money they already get from the general fund. They currently receive almost two thirds of the city's general fund expenditure already. So, if MAPS 3 generates anywhere near the return that MAPS 1 did, the police and fire department stand to make billions themselves.
For your information NOT one cent from MAPS3 is ear marked for FIRE or POLICE..where did you get your information. The mayor came out on Thursday to say that they would give use tax to the fire and police. It is not in the proposal for the voters. He added that after the fact to make it look like the fire and police unions are being greedy.Which he has nothing in writing nor can they change the proposal midstream before the vote. Yes the unions have been in negotiations since FEB of this year. The fire union offered to roll thier contract, no raise. if the city would agree to signing a METOO clause. Which ment if ANY city employee got a raise they would give them their raise. THEY DECLINED. The Chamber of commerce(Clay Bennent and his partners) came to the Fire and Police unions on Monday and asked them what it would take for us to "get on board" with them. They offered to give staffing ( 10 FF and 27 police)if we could support MAPS3. How in the world is the chamber of commerce able to offer staffing to Fire and Police. Are they now negotiating contracts for the city personel. The union declined because the gave a sundown date of 2011. Which meant they would give the staffing but could pull them in 2011. Does that sound like a good deal to you. Fire and Police are way understaffed at this time. 55 less firefighters are on the job then in 1999. And this city has grown leaps and bounds since.
Jill and everyone else please wake up and see what is happening.
The City government has been mismanageing money. They cut city budgets, city
wide by 3% and then want the citizens to vote in 777 million in taxes...on the same day. If you cant properly use the money now what in the world will happen to that extra funds!Do all the research and see that this maps is not for the the people!!!
Got anything to compare to the loss of GM, Dayton, and those bunches of manufacturing jobs that left?
You may want to "live here" being an okie and all, but what are you attracting from the outside real world as far as people/businesses that want to move here?
STOP THE CORRUPTION - VOTE NO!
The first MAPS generated over 5 billion dollars in revenue for the city, from an investment of a little over 300 hundred million. Since our police and fire departments get three quarters of a cent from our sales tax, they'll get $590 million during the time when the city will be collecting money for MAPS 3. That is in addition to money they already get from the general fund. They currently receive almost two thirds of the city's general fund expenditure already. So, if MAPS 3 generates anywhere near the return that MAPS 1 did, the police and fire department stand to make billions themselves.
This is about making Oklahoma City a showplace, about taking another giant leap similar to what we took with MAPS. I'm proud of my city, but having visited other cities like Portland, Boston, etc, I know how much better we can be and need to be. I'm voting to make my city a better place in which to live, to make it a place I'm excited to show visitors.
Seems like they are still organizing how they'll spending the never ending penny tax.
Vote No, and let them refine the way they'll handle the money!
Central Park and anything on the other side of the interstate can wait until the interstate moves.
The worst thing this city could do is rest on its laurels. This is a competition among cities, and with our low cost of living, OKC stands to really step up to the big leagues.
I honestly believe the mix of projects in this MAPS will be even more transformative than MAPS 1 was, and it was an unqualified success.
Conversely, if this fails, OKC will lose all the momentum it has had for the past ten-plus years. We cannot afford to go back to the days when we couldn't even land an aircraft repair business because no one wanted to live here.
To read a statement concerning Prater's edorsment.
I personally think the millionaires(Clay Bennet's Thunder, Devon, Chesapeek,This newspaper,Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce,etc...) already have enough money without the citizens of OKC supplimenting their projects.
stinkerpants, Oklahoma City - Nov 12, 2009 at 2:24 pm"
Well, you answered your own question FORMER Fire Chief & FORMER Policeman, but CURRENT polaticians. Not to mention the Chief of the Fire Dept., which is what Councilman Marrs was, is just an extention of the city personell department. He was hated by nearly every member of the fire department anyway. I heard form one of his relatives he didn't get invited to his own family reunion (RE"UNION"). Hey, maybe thats why he hates unions.
MBA, Oklahoma City - Nov 12, 2009 at 3:01 pm"
This 3/4 cent sales tax of '89 which promised more firefighters and police. Well, guess what they pay for the ones from the tax, but don't replace the ones from the general fund.So, essentially the tax goes into the cities general fund. Business as usual! If the other MAPS were so successful why are we having these problems now? Every city Dept. took a 2% budget cut this year & the Dept. heads were told to expect another cut in July for the next July. So, if we are in this desperate of a situation why not ask for $777 million dollars to continue your services without cuts?
Vote NO on Maps 3, or commonly known as Maps For Millionaires.
If they had put the kind of things the people wanted in this MAPS they would not have to worry about it passing, but they didn't. They just put in the stuff their rich buddies wanted and thought we were all too stupid to notice it. Well we weren't and now they are scrambling.
Would some body please ask the Mayor about taking a job with the advertising agency Akerman & McQueen) that represnts many of the companies who will benefit from this....
Let the police and fire employees propose another additional permanent sales tax if they wish and let the citizens vote on it. We are already paying a permanent sales tax for police and fire which passed in the 1990's.