Muskogee council approves amended CIP package, schedules July election to continue half‑cent sales tax

The Muskogee City Council on April 20 approved an amended capital improvements program and directed staff to prepare election documents for a July ballot to continue the city's existing half‑cent sales tax that would fund the plan.

The package the council adopted — described by staff as an eight‑year plan — allocates funds across street repairs, downtown revitalization, library and civic facility work, an expansion of the Martin Luther King Center, and other projects. Councilors voted unanimously to adopt "Option 4 as amended" and to call the election documents for placement on a July ballot, with the formal call to be finalized at the council's April 28 meeting.

Why it matters: The council said the continuation tax would not raise the current rate (it is a continuation, not a new tax) and is intended to provide a multi‑year revenue stream for infrastructure and downtown projects the city says it cannot fully pay for from current budgets. Council members and public speakers framed the package as a way to leverage matching grants and private donations to increase the projects' scope.

Council and staff described the amended eight‑year allocations presented at the meeting as follows: streets $10,000,000; library rehabilitation $1,100,000; downtown revitalization $2,500,000; Hatbox (youth sports complex) upgrades $1,000,000; Public Works facility remodel $3,000,000; City Hall rehabilitation $3,400,000; contracted maintenance $500,000; Martin Luther King Center expansion $5,000,000; civic center HVAC/remodel $1,500,000; derelict structure removal $200,000; and a $2,000,000 port agreement. Council staff reported a total project sum of $30,200,000 and discussed a 10% contingency to be added to the plan.

Public commenters urged the council to include specific projects. Joshua (Josh) Cotton, identified as president of the Muskogee Youth Baseball Association, told the council the youth baseball and softball programs draw players from 32 schools and numerous surrounding communities; he said the program recorded "701 enrollments" since Jan. 1, 2024, and appealed for facility upgrades at the Hatbox complex so Muskogee can remain competitive with neighboring towns.

Courtney Graham, executive director of Main Street Muskogee, urged support for the downtown allocation, citing recent private investment and grants the organization has pursued. Delby Walker, a member of the Martin Luther King Trust Authority board, described heavy community use of the center and asked the council to fund additional classrooms and expansion capacity.

Several residents pressed the council for greater fiscal transparency before approving new CIP funds. Mark Hughes said residents had requested a line‑item accounting for the 2019 CIP and had not received the detailed breakdown he seeks; the mayor and other council members said staff would provide program‑level documentation and a commitment was made to supply the further line‑item detail Hughes requested.

Council discussion focused on balancing street maintenance against visible community projects such as downtown work and the MLK Center. Some councilors favored stretching the tax continuation to eight years to raise larger totals and reduce the risk of returning to voters again in the near term; others warned that spreading funds over more years could delay completion of high‑priority items. The adopted amendment adjusted allocations (reducing some facility rehab amounts and shifting additional funds to downtown revitalization and MLK expansion) so the package better matched council priorities.

Action and next steps: Councilmember C.B. Abel moved to adopt Option 4 as amended; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll‑call vote with all present councilors voting yes. Council also approved a separate motion to prepare and call the election documents for a July ballot (documents to be finalized at the April 28 meeting); that motion likewise passed unanimously. If successful, staff said collections under the continuation would begin after required state notices and processing for a July election.

The council and speakers emphasized that the CIP package is intended to be leveraged with grants and private contributions; staff and council asked community organizations to pursue matching funds and philanthropic support to expand the projects beyond the city allocation. The council closed the meeting noting outreach plans to inform voters about the proposal and the April 28 schedule to finalize election paperwork.