Following a presentation and council discussion on July 7, future capital elections will be synced to put the ½ Cent Sales Tax (CIP), General Obligation Bond and ¼ Cent Economic Development Sales Tax elections on the same ballot on a five-year cycle.
“Some years, the CIP and GO Bond elections have been held at the same time, and sometimes they are staggered,” said Director of Engineering Micah Siemers.
The current four-year GO Bond approved by voters in October 2023 will sunset on Nov. 1, 2027. GO Bond initiatives have historically ranged from 3-year to 5-year increments.
The current five-year CIP was approved in August 2020 (on the same ballot as the prior 2020 GO Bond) and will sunset June 30, 2026. The CIP has historically been extended in 5-year to 7-year increments.
The ¼ Cent Economic Development tax was last extended in an April 2021 election. The tax, first approved by voters in 1986 and approved every five years since, supports the City’s economic development and tourism efforts. The Bartlesville Development Authority also expressed support for shifting this tax election to coincide with the GO Bond and CIP elections.
Synchronizing all three to one ballot and the same five-year term should work well, Siemers noted.
“This will streamline our election process for citizens and simplify the project planning process for city staff,” said Siemers. “When the CIP was extended for seven years in 2013, it was very difficult to identify and plan projects that far in advance from a budget standpoint. And from a citizen perspective, it feels like it takes a very long time to get to those projects you care about. Limiting the duration to five years seems to work pretty well for both sides.”
The council expressed support for a tentative March 3, 2026 election.