Moore city manager outlines sales‑tax funding option, schedules January town halls

City Manager Brooks used the Dec. 15 Moore City Council meeting to restate financial context and outline a possible sales‑tax funding model for future capital projects.

Brooks told the council the city's annual audit had returned an unmodified opinion and that key financial documents are available on the finance department web page. He clarified an often‑raised point about sales‑tax notation: "1¢ and 1% are interchangeable... It is the same thing," Brooks said.

Brooks provided the current sales‑tax breakdown: "Our current sales tax, 8.5% consists of the state of Oklahoma's portion is 4.5%. The city of Moore's is 3.875, and Cleveland County is just 0.125," he said, adding that only the city’s 3.875 percentage goes directly to Moore. He also described the city’s share of typical property tax bills and explained how ACOG funding ($32,000,000 mentioned in the meeting) would make certain projects become ODOT projects on ODOT’s timetable.

On outreach, Brooks said the city will hold three town halls in January for citizens to ask questions and for staff to provide answers; he said staff will also make resources available in the afternoon sessions for residents who cannot attend evening meetings. "We'll have staff available in the afternoon to answer questions for people that might not be able to come to the evening session," Brooks said. He asked the public to check the city's website for dates and locations.

Brooks framed the sales‑tax option as a change in funding method, not in the mechanics of specific projects, and said that any move to a sales‑tax funding model would be preceded by a public discussion, research and a final council vote.