#OKCBOXSCORE
City revenue picture healthy
Sales tax for the February reporting period is up, a reversal of the 5.8 percent decline in February of 2017. Oklahoma City received $37.4 million last week, up about 6.3 percent from the same month last year. The increase includes two weeks of estimated collections under the new sales tax rate. Sales tax went up a quarter-cent on Jan. 1, with money going to hire more police officers and firefighters. While not an apples-to-apples comparison, the latest results show sales tax on a 10-month winning streak after a slump that lasted 18 months.
They said it
“Internally, it hasn’t been met without some skepticism and even at times, anxiety.”
— Mark Nelson, vice president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 123, in remarks to the city council. Thanking the mayor and council for ratifying a new contract, Nelson said Oklahoma City and the police union had worked “to step out of our proverbial comfort zone” in the past several months. Positions have been added to the budget for additional officers, he noted. “It’s not lost on us, the value of a good relationship and continuing the effort to grow the city,” Nelson said. Police officers are getting a 3.3 percent across-theboard raise, retroactive to July 1, 2017, in the new one-year contract.
Tweet of the Week
“Our team continues to work on removing signs. If you see some and you don’t mind grabbing them and trashing them, please feel free! Thanks!”
— @davidfholt. David Holt, 38, was elected Oklahoma City’s 36th mayor in Tuesday’s primary election. He takes office April 10 and will preside that day over his first city council meeting.
OKC elects new mayor
Oklahoma City’s mayorelect, David Holt, grew up in Oklahoma City before going East for college and jobs in Congress and the George W. Bush White House. Here are 3 things to know about Holt and the election:
• Holt outperformed Mayor Mick Cornett’s 2014 re-election margin, drawing 78.5 percent in a three-way race. Cornett won his fourth term in 2014 with 65.7 percent of the vote in a four-way race. Holt managed Cornett’s 2014 campaign. Cornett won re-election with 87.6 percent in 2006, still a record.
• Multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips wrote and recorded a campaign jingle for Holt. Holt tweeted “the coolest thing ever” and “totally the theme song of a 1970s sitcom about me being mayor.” The guitar sounds a bit like 1985’s “Centerfield” by John Fogerty. Find it on YouTube.
• Interest in municipal elections continues to wane. Turnout for Tuesday’s mayoral primary was 8.4 percent. Last September’s bond and sales tax election drew 14.3 percent of eligible voters. MAPS 3 voter turnout in 2009 was just over 31 percent; 2008’s Big League City vote drew 30.8 percent.
Streetcar construction
MAPS 3 streetcar construction is underway throughout downtown. For updates, follow the weekly downtown area traffic advisory online at okc. gov. Streetcar service is to begin in December.
• Installation of rail is about 60 percent complete.
• Tests are beginning on Oklahoma City’s first streetcar, delivered last week.
Present/absent
Mayor Mick Cornett and seven of the eight city council members attended last week’s meeting. Ward 6 Councilwoman Meg Salyer was away on personal business.
Looking ahead:
• The Oklahoma City Council meets at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 27 at City Hall, 200 N Walker Ave.
• A public hearing is set Feb. 27 on a measure to rescind restrictions on where sex shops can locate.
• Mayor Mick Cornett hosts the 17th annual Mayor’s Development Roundtable on Wednesday, March 28, at the Cox Convention Center.