Voters to decide on Moore upgrades
For The Oklahoman
MOORE — Voters in Moore will decide June 26 the fate of five general obligation bonds with a combined total of $48,615,000. The Moore City Council on Monday night voted, 5-2, to submit the bonds to voters.
The biggest proposition is $43,050,000 and would fund four road projects and the construction of the long-sought SE 4 underpass at the BNSF Railway tracks. The cost of the underpass has been given as $27,860,000.
The street projects are: the resurfacing of NE 12 from Eastern to Interstate 35; the resurfacing and widening of SW 34 from S Telephone Road to Santa Fe Avenue; resurfacing of Eastern from NE 12 to SE 4; and the resurfacing of Eastern from SE 4 to SE 19.
Before the council’s vote, City Councilmember Danielle McKenzine opened discussion about separating the underpass project from the street repair work. She said a lot of people are worried about an increase in their taxes and would like to see the plan split.
Councilmembers Adam Webb and Mark Hamm also suggested the streets and underpass issues should be different proposals so voters could decide on one or the other or both. Hamm said the underpass is about 90 percent of that one proposition.
“I’m hesitant to vote for this the way it is,” Hamm said.
Webb and Hamm voted against the bonds package as it was presented because of the separation issue.
The second proposition comes in at $3,140,000 for construction, reconstruction and repairs of drainage channels. Those projects are planned for NW 12 to NW 5 and NW 5 to SW 4.
Proposition three would provide $1,525,000 for railroad quiet zones at NE 12, E Main and SE 34.
In an interview before the council meeting, City Manager Brooks Mitchell said new equipment would signal train crews not to sound locomotive horns as they approach those crossings. He also said the money would fund devices that would prevent motorists from trying to go through a crossing as a train approaches.
The fourth proposition would provide $600,000 to buy two new street sweepers. The city’s current sweeper is a 2009 model, Mitchell said.
The fifth proposition would fund a $300,000 telephone system for city buildings. Mitchell told the council that the city government’s phone system is old and the manufacturer has said it will not support that system after this year.
Mitchell told the council that Moore’s current tax rate is 15.5 mills.
“Our plan will not raise the city’s millage rate above 16.5 mills,” he said. It was mentioned in the meeting that if the five propositions are approved by the voters, it would add about $8 a month in property taxes on a home valued at $100,000.
“It is not practical to fund these on a pay-asyou-go basis,” Mitchell told the council. “In order to fund this through sales tax, the city would have to sustain 26 percent growth over each of the next seven years. There is no definitive federal funding at this point.”
With the five bond propositions going to the voters in June, Mitchell said the next step will be a series of town hall meetings in May to explain the plans to the public.