Oklahoma City Council adopts amended FY2027 budget after public calls for participatory process

The Oklahoma City Council voted 7–1 on June 2 to adopt an amended FY2027 budget after a public hearing in which residents and community groups pressed for participatory budgeting and criticized cuts to services.

Several residents used the public hearing to urge changes to the city’s spending priorities. "I'm here today to ask you again to take action against this municipal budget," said Cole McAfee, a Ward 6 homeowner, arguing the plan fails to meet residents’ needs on transit, youth programming and affordable housing.

Aurelius Francisco of the People’s Budget Coalition and Foundation for Liberating Minds told the council the budget "is opaque and inaccessible" and urged a stronger focus on violence prevention, affordable housing and mobile integrated health. "There’s a lot more people in our city experiencing mental health crisis who need that mental health support than there are people lighting buildings on fire," Francisco said.

Staff and the city’s budget director defended the amendment as necessary to close funding gaps created by rising personnel costs. "Overall, the increase today is $9,400,000 across all funds, getting us to $2,100,000,000 as the amended budget," Budget Director Chris York said, summarizing the package that includes increases to the fire sales tax fund, a roughly $3 million general‑fund salary reserve, an $800,000 fleet repair allocation and a $2.5 million increase in the medical service program fund tied to a state/federal reimbursement program.

Council debate echoed the public split. Councilwoman (Ward 6) said she would vote no, citing disproportionate cuts to bus service and services for vulnerable residents. "Budgets are moral documents," she said, and told colleagues she could not support the package as presented. Council members in favor pointed to forthcoming investments — including a proposed $50 million bond for affordable housing and a transit initiative under consideration — as reasons to approve the amendment.

After discussion the council voted to adopt the amendment, 7–1. City staff said additional budget hearings are scheduled for June 16 to consider related appropriation resolutions.

What’s next: The council set final hearings for elements of the budget and related sales‑tax appropriations for June 16; staff promised continued outreach and additional detail on several line items included in the amendment.