© 2024 Public Radio Tulsa
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2577

A listener-supported service of The University of Tulsa
classical 88.7 | public radio 89.5
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Tulsa Regional Chamber Wants Vision, Public Safety Separate

The Tulsa Regional Chamber has staked out a position on the city's upcoming Vision renewal.

Board members say the six-tenths Vision sales tax should be renewed in full and dedicated to "game-changing capital investments." 

"We saw how transformative those types of investments have been for our community in the original Vision 2025," said PSO President Stuart Solomon, who is on the chamber board. "We think we have the opportunity to do that again this time around."

In an unusual step, the chamber board adopted a formal position before officials finalized the Vision proposal.

"Certainly, these principles are ones that we have talked with elected officials about, but not in a formal way," Solomon said. "We thought it was important to go ahead and take that step."

During a formal vote this week, the board also addressed public safety funding.

"We are in support of a sustainable funding approach, a dedicated funding approach to comprehensively meet the public safety needs — operational and otherwise — of the City of Tulsa," Solomon said.

City Councilor Karen Gilbert and Mayor Dewey Bartlett have proposed using a significant portion of the Vision renewal and an additional piece of a future funding package for public safety needs.

A council resolution earlier this year also mentioned using a chunk of the Vision renewal for public safety, but the proposal is still being developed.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.