Mayor Proposes New Fees to Restore Services

Highway lights back on and a police academy next year.  Mayor Bartlett says city services can be restored.  But they’ll come at a price.
Fox 23’s Douglas Clark has details on the plan to generate revenue. 

City councilors got the formal proposal Thursday.  The mayor’s plan would generate about $9 million for the city.  It would restore about a dozen city services.  But taxpayers would be forking over more money.

The mayor’s plan would turn all of the highway lights back on and increase public safety by holding a police academy next year and putting both police helicopters back in the air.

“The helicopters being gone have left a hold in our public safety efforts.  We had lost special needs child where we would have loved to have had the helicopter.  If the officer can’t catch somebody, we’d use a helicopter,” says Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan

The mayor also wants to set aside more money for pot-hole repair, snow and ice clean-up, mowing, and graffiti removal.  His plan is to raise the money by imposing new fees.

“I don’t call these taxes.  I think a tax is like a sales tax.  It’s permanent and covers all sorts of things.  These are very specific in their focus.  These are specific services the city had supplied in the past and could supply in the future,” says Mayor Bartlett.

How will he raise the $9 million needed?  The mayor wants to increase the parking rates and fines, raise alarm fees, and charge people an optional $5-a-month fee for fire department calls.  Those who opt out, would get billed for the portion not covered by their homeowners’ policy if a fire truck visits their house.  That bothers some citizens who don’t have insurance. 

“When they run to grab the phone to dial 911, is the thought going through their head: Can I afford this?  Do I have the cash to pay for this?  They don’t need that going through their head.  That’s going to give them a moment of pause that we really don’t need them to have,” says Tulsa citizen Tom Bell.

The extra money would also enable the city to eliminate four furlough days from next year’s budget and reopen some swimming pools and rec centers.

The new city budget takes effect July 1^st.  The mayor’s revenue-generating ideas are separate from the budget and would need council approval to take effect.  If approved, they would only be in effect for next fiscal year.