The Norman Transcript


City leaders say if the half-cent temporary sales tax passes Aug. 22, it would create nearly 100 critically needed city positions, the bulk of those in public safety.

"For the last few years Norman has been cinching its belt tighter and tighter. We've cut positions. We've cut services. We just can't cut anymore," said Mayor Harold Haralson in a prepared statement.

The five-year, half-penny temporary sales tax is projected to generate $6.75 million in the first year, with each of the following years increasing over the previous. The total amount after the five years would be about $37 million.

Norman has 24 fewer general fund positions than it had in 2004, despite a rising population base.

While staffing levels have decreased, calls for service have risen throughout the city, including police calls, fires, building inspections, meters reading, park maintenance, road resurfacing and median mowing.

A combination of increased personnel costs, unfunded mandates and increased operating expenses have caused the city's reserve fund to dwindle to almost nothing.

Haralson said over the life of the half-penny sales tax, 97 positions would be added.

"These are targeted positions, not every department would get staffing; only areas that have been identified as critical would be increased," he said.

In the first year alone, 38 new positions would be added with the bulk of the positions being in public safety.

Over the five years, the half-penny would provide 37 commissioned police officers, the majority of them beat officers working on the streets and in the neighborhoods.

About $1 million each year from the tax revenues would go toward economic development.

"Norman can no longer ignore economic development. Just as we manage our growth we need to manage our economic development," Haralson said. "The economic development aspect of this issue is primarily assisting existing businesses and new businesses with training of their employees to improve their ability to accomplish higher skilled positions. This training would be supplemental to existing training programs offered by providers such as Moore Norman Technology Center.

About $1.5 million of this allocation would be used for economic development over the five-year period.

"In addition to training, we plan to stimulate the software industry in Norman by building a Software Development Center targeted at expanding or new software companies. Norman's share of the 36,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility would be about $2 million, matched by funds from the state of Oklahoma," he said.

To promote jobs in Norman that meet the definition of Oklahoma Quality Jobs Act, a fund would be established not to exceed $500,000 to assist companies that want to move to or expand in Norman.

The expenditures would be under the control of the Norman City Council as public funds. An emergency fund would be established at the rate of $1 million or 1 percent per year, not to exceed one-half of the existing 8 percent reserve policy.

Five years ago the citizens of Norman voted in favor of a half-cent sales tax to improve the wastewater system. The vote would be to continue the half-cent sales tax, which expires Sept. 30.

City staff and council worked on creative ways to introduce more efficiency into the city. Some of those included implementing fuel saving measures in the amount of 23,694 gallons less than last year, saving $70,000 by designing and reconstructing the primary clarifier at the Wastewater Treatment Plant instead of contracting to an outside company and implementing extensive review on equipment replacement.

Even with these cost saving measures the budget was not able to keep up.

"I would ask my fellow citizens to consider carefully the needs facing our community and the opportunity we have to meet those needs," Haralson said. "Not only would we better provide the essential services people expect us to, but would also provide for an emergency and help create a vehicle to expand our economic base. By increasing our sales tax base, I'm confident we would grow out of this slump and better be able to serve the community at the end of five years."