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Claremore council approves placing one-cent sales tax measure on April ballot; emergency clause and election resolution also approved
Summary
The Claremore City Council approved an ordinance and accompanying resolution to place a one-cent unrestricted sales tax measure before voters in the April city election, approved an emergency clause to allow quick adjustments after election-board review, and scheduled public education and town halls ahead of the vote.
The Claremore City Council voted to place a proposed one-cent (one penny) unrestricted sales tax measure on the April city election ballot and approved related procedural steps, including an emergency clause and a formal resolution calling the election.
City staff member Mr. Fieri told the council the measure would give the city an unrestricted revenue penny for the general fund; he said Claremore has not increased that kind of local revenue in decades and remains “the only community that OMAD can identify that has all 3 of our pennies restricted.” He described the option as an alternative to raising utility rates: “The only other way to do it is to increase utility rates,” he said.
Councilors approved the ordinance calling the vote after discussion about public outreach. Staff said there will be a town-hall education effort in the months ahead — planned for February and March — to explain to voters how the funds would be used and why an unrestricted penny would provide the council more flexibility than the currently restricted sales-tax pennies. The measure will appear in the April citywide election; staff said filing and election deadlines require early submission to the county election board.
Council also approved an emergency clause for the ordinance so staff could make prompt adjustments if the county required edits after its initial review. City staff told the council that, if county review necessitated changes, an emergency clause would allow a rapid re-adoption rather than delaying the ordinance past election deadlines. Finally, the council approved a resolution formally calling the election for the sales tax measure.
Votes on the ordinance, the emergency clause and the resolution were recorded by roll call in the meeting minutes; councilors on the roll call recorded as voting yes included Erwin, Cottam, Thalman, Callender, Long and Vince Fadden across the separate votes. Staff emphasized the outreach plan and said the city will present alternatives and rationale to the public ahead of the April election.
