The Tulsa City-County Library cut its Vision ask 25 percent but still may not make the final list.
As a partly county entity, the library receives some funding through property taxes.
"We can take care of our operating capital improvements — HVAC equipment, rooves — and we do a very good job with that with our existing funding, but we do not have the funding structure to build new buildings or do massive renovations," said CFO Gail Morris.
Library executives want to renovate all 13 branches, with plans for amenities like demonstration kitchens at some locations. They recently cut the Vision amount they're asking for from $55 million to $41 million, but some city councilors prefer they turn to a bond issue for funding.
"To me, that's the more appropriate mechanism, as it's a city-county thing," said Councilor Blake Ewing. "It just makes a lot of sense that we diversify how we do capital investments in our community anyway."
Councilor Anna America’s stance is sales tax is the most regressive form of funding possible.
"So, do you have any argument that goes beyond that you want to be a part of this that says why this makes sense for a taxpayer out there why they should be using this, you know, limited sales tax and bump Gilcrease or somebody else, bump the convention center, bump somebody else off this list?" America said.
Library executives responded in a Vision task force meeting they face political obstacles with the county that make a bond issue highly unlikely.
