OKC Bond Election Improvements Announced

Oklahoma City residents have spoken on improvements they’d like to see in the city.

Tuesday, News 9 got the first look at what's going into the city's general obligation bond election that neighbors will vote on in September.

Nearly $970 million could potentially be spent over the next ten years.

“For the past many years, as long as I can remember, people are concerned about their streets,” said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

Streets and sidewalks would get the most money of all, roughly a half billion dollars.

Drainage control would get $60 million. Libraries would receive $24 million. Nearly $138 million would go to parks, that includes $28 million for three new golf clubhouses.

About $60 million would go to economic development, which drew criticism from one City Council member.

“Economic Development is the least popular. Borrowing money to give to large multi-national corporations, for jobs they would have created anyway, is just not popular with the people of Oklahoma City,” said Councilman Ed Shadid.

Shadid pointed to the results of polling he conducted on where residents want to see the money spend.

Along with the general obligation bond, the MAPS penny sales tax will be voted on September 12.

A quarter of that tax would be permanent and fund 48 police positions and 57 fire positions. The other three-quarters would last until 2020 and provide $180 million for capital improvement projects.

Cornett said that money will help road improvement projects that were put off due to a lack of funding since the last bond election in 2007.