Broken Arrow council directs 2026 $415M bond package to ballot after weeks of public input

The Broken Arrow City Council on Tuesday directed staff to prepare ordinances and a resolution to place a revised 2026 general-obligation bond package before voters, following presentations from staff and roughly 200 public comments collected during a two-week comment period.

City Manager Charlie Spurgeon told the council the administration had refined the package after public input and said, "we received over 200 comments" during the engagement period, which the city categorized as 133 neutral, 54 in support of all eight propositions and 29 opposed. Spurgeon said the next step, should the council agree, is a January 6 meeting to finalize ordinances and call the election.

The package includes eight propositions covering transportation, public safety, stormwater and public facilities. Shannon Marshall, the city's special projects division manager, described targeted changes to Propositions 1, 2 and 5 to satisfy the state requirement that 70% of bond funds be devoted to named projects. Proposed edits include naming a County Line Road widening project and adding a multi-jurisdictional Aspen Avenue street-improvement project. Marshall said one change would add $150,000 to reach the 70% ratio and move funds between named and unnamed projects to preserve flexibility.

The council also heard extended public comment. Kim Johnson, representing the Tulsa-area library system, summarized the local library proposal and the system's capital needs: "The total cost is 13,000,000. The 4,000,000 would go toward construction costs only. The construction cost is 10,000,000. The 3,000,000 is the library's owner's cost." Johnson said the library is undertaking a capital campaign and that without municipal participation she could not guarantee the project would move forward as planned.

Multiple speakers representing youth sports, museum leadership and a citizens' committee urged placing the propositions on the ballot. Justin Sharp, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 2551, thanked the city for accommodating firefighters’ concerns and said the union supported Proposition 2 for a new fire station. Laurie Lewis, speaking for Build A Better Broken Arrow, said the committee would educate voters and support the entire bond package.

After discussion the council moved, and after a second, directed staff to move forward with the bond package as amended and to have legal prepare the required ordinances and resolutions for the January meeting. Councilors and staff stressed that the council was placing the package on the ballot for voter consideration, not authorizing construction: as one councilor put it, "we voted that it will be put out to the people for a vote." The council also asked staff to prepare clear public-education materials ahead of the election.

The administration said the proposed sales-tax-backed sports proposition (Proposition 8) was estimated to be about $56 million; staff said a final sport-by-sport breakdown would be ready before January 6. The council indicated an intent to present all propositions (including the sales-tax proposition) together on the ballot.

The council’s action now begins the formal ordinance-and-resolution drafting required by state law; the city attorney and staff will return with final language and a resolution to call the election at the next regular meeting.