Economic development tax approved by voters since 1986
The City Council took action on several agenda items during its regular meeting Monday including approval of an election to extend the existing 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax. The election will be held April 6.
The 1/4-cent Economic Development Tax, which has been in place since it was first passed by Bartlesville voters in 1986, brings in an average of $1.3 million for the City’s economic development efforts. The City contracts with the Bartlesville Development Authority to utilize these funds to incentivize development in both retail and job creation and retainment. The City Council provides oversight of the program and must approve the BDA’s annual budget and all incentive expenditures.
“This sales tax funds the BDA and Visitor’s Bureau but it also contributes to the economic development fund,” said BDA Vice President Jared Patton. “This is what we use to incentivize destination retail and primary industry job creation. We’re very grateful for the success we’ve had over the last five years, and we look forward to the possibility of another five years.”
Patton pointed out a few of the projects incentivized with the funding during the current five-year tax period, including:
- Silver Lake Village
- Atwoods (resulting in Chick-Fil-A and the redevelopment of Eastland Shopping Center)
- Phillips Precision Machine
- Kmart redevelopment
- Purchase of Siemens facility, which resulted in the recruitment of Tritanium Labs, the retention of 18 Siemens employees and the lease to Apple Studios, the company filming “Killers of the Flower Moon” in the Bartlesville and Pawhuska area
“I would agree that the BDA has had good success in the last five years — and, actually, all the way back to 1986 — and I think the voters have agreed with that,” said Mayor Dale Copeland. “We have been blessed with success. And I know you can’t share the details, but I think it’s fair to say there are more ‘strong potentials’ in the future.”
If approved by voters on April 6, the tax will be extended for five years, beginning July 1 and expiring June 30, 2026.
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