What issues are important to OKC voters on Election Day?
OKC voters are heading to the polls on Election Day. We asked a few at First Baptist Church what issues were most important to them, and why they voted.
There are two questions on Oklahomans’ ballots, state questions 833 and 834, and each tackles a different topic.
State Question 834 allows a vote to amend the state constitution to read “Only citizens of the United States who are over the age of eighteen years and who are bona fide residents” of Oklahoma as opposed to “all citizens.”
But State Question 833 has left voters scratching their heads. The measure is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that permits municipalities to create public infrastructure districts. But what does that mean?
Here’s what to know:
What happens if the legislation is enacted?
The state question states that a Board of Trustees can form and have authority over PIDs. Yet, it does not specify appointment requirements or duties of the Board. According to Oklahoma Watch, residents of PIDs could be assessed by an annual tax of up to $100 per $100,000 of assessed value to fund the infrastructure improvements.
Who supports the amendment?
State legislators Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa, and Sen. John Haste, R-Tulsa, sponsored the resolution to put SQ833 on the ballot. According to Oklahoma Watch, O’Donnell called them “the ultimate local control” as city officials will be allowed to spur construction in areas developers might not otherwise be interested in.
Haste said he supports their implementation as it takes pressure off the cities and allows faster development.
“Particularly in areas with a lot of growth, this is a way to support cities to build more houses,” he told Oklahoma Watch.
Who opposes the amendment?
Though the vote passed with a strong majority in both the House and Senate, 27 Oklahoma House of Representatives members opposed the resolution.
Oklahoma City Representative Andy Fugate, a Democrat, pushed back on the resolution and proposed establishing a public infrastructure district in a high-end housing district and selling the property for substantial profit, Oklahoma Watch reports.
“This really is the triple crown of bad policy,” Fugate told the Oklahoma Watch. “If you vote for this, it’s a vote for more taxes, it’s a vote that will hurt your public schools, and it is a vote that will put taxpayer dollars into the pockets of developers that will pay and then leave.”
Does State Question 833 specify what qualifies as public infrastructure?
SQ 833 does not outright define a public infrastructure district (PID), yet lawmakers could narrow the definition if the amendment passes Tuesday.