Street Proposal Update
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
“Let’s fix our streets!”
With that statement, Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor announced she has formally sent to the Election Board a $451 million proposal designed to rebuild Tulsa’s crumbling streets. The proposal will be on the November General Election ballot.
The Mayor made the announcement in a news conference at City Hall. She was flanked by City Council members who approved the measure last Thursday evening.
Mayor Taylor thanked the City Council for its quick action in getting the proposal to her desk. “Asphalt costs are tied to oil prices. Every day we wait, it costs us more. Gasoline in Tulsa is up 20 cents in the last seven days. That same volatility is in the asphalt markets as well. The affects of Hurricane Gustav will likely impact oil prices as well for months to come”, the Mayor said. “This is a dramatic increase in our street funding. It is not just more of the same. It is the biggest bond investment in streets in our City’s history“.
“This proposal listens to what Tulsans said at street meetings all over the city,” said District One Councilor Jack Henderson. “They wanted a small, more manageable proposal that wasn’t so confusing.”
Echoing those comments, Councilor Dennis Troyer said he initially favored a longer more expensive proposal until he heard from his constituents in District Six. Troyer said, “They told me what they wanted and that is what we are going to do.”
Tulsa City Councilor Bill Christiansen said this proposal “will not necessitate cuts to public safety as would have another plan that was under consideration.”
City Councilor G.T. Bynum pointed out, “for the first time since we’ve been keeping a record, Tulsans have a chance to improve the quality of their streets. This is an exciting opportunity that reaches across party lines and past parochial interests to benefit all of us who move throughout the city.”
The package will appear on the November 4 ballot.
