The City of Tulsa has some room to increase the local sales tax for public safety funding.
According to a report given to city councilors, Tulsa's combined sales tax rate is six-tenths of a percent below the area's average and five-tenths below its median. Council Policy Administrator Jack Blair said that would make a big difference.
"So, if our sales tax rate were at the average of these communities, that would translate to an additional $48 million annually," Blair said. "If we were at the median, that would be $37 million."
The report included Lawton, Oklahoma City and Norman as well. Tulsa's total sales tax rate is below its neighbors', too.
"Tulsa's rate, were it equal to Bixby, Owasso and Sand Springs, which is an additional four-tenths of a percent, ... at 8.917, that would generate an additional $31 million annually," Blair said.
After a study recommended hiring 200 additional police officers, city councilors quickly learned that would run around $20 million a year. Public Safety Task Force Chair Karen Gilbert has proposed two-tenths of the Vision renewal and one-tenth from a future Improve Our Tulsa renewal to pay for all those new cops.
"Moving forward with that, that number's just not going to be sustainable within the last proposed three-tenths," Gilbert said.
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati made the police department staffing recommendation. A fire department staffing study is in the works.
