On Feb. 10, Bartlesville voters will decide ballot issues for the City of Bartlesville, including extension of the 1/2-cent Capital Improvement Project and 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Taxes and the proposed 2026 General Obligation Bond Issue.
The 1/2-cent CIP sales tax and G.O. Bonds have been used to fund more than $102 million in projects since 1999. Voter passage in February would extend the CIP sales tax for another five years and ensure G.O. Bond funding through 2031.
“These funding sources are used for everything from the construction of major facilities to street projects and purchasing police cars, fire trucks, mowers, and computers,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “Municipalities in Oklahoma are actually quite limited in their funding options, so these are extremely important in our ability to improve our community, purchase the basic equipment required to do our jobs, and to maintain the infrastructure we have.”
Voters will see five propositions on their ballot. Propositions 1-3 are related to the proposed G.O. Bond Issue. Proposition 4 is for the Economic Development sales tax extension, and Proposition 5 is for the CIP sales tax extension.
Voters will see five propositions on their ballot. Propositions one through three are related to the proposed G.O. Bond Issue. Proposition 4 is for the Economic Development sales tax extension, and Proposition 5 is for the CIP sales tax extension.
Combined, the CIP sales tax and G.O. Bonds will generate $35 million for projects (including $500,000 for Cost of Issuance), with the majority of the funds — $18.2 million — going to street projects. The smallest portion, $3.5 million, will be dedicated to parks, $5.4 million to public safety equipment, and $7.4 million to municipal buildings and equipment.
Projects highlights
The vast majority of the projects to be completed with the funding are recurring costs and to maintain the existing infrastructure. This includes items such as:
Numerous street improvements
The City’s largest infrastructure requires continuous upgrades and maintenance. (None of these projects are repeats.)
Replacement of police and general fleet vehicles 10 years or older as funding allows
Combined, the CIP sales tax and G.O. Bonds will generate $35 million for projects (including $500,000 for Cost of Issuance), with the majority of the funds — $18.2 million — going to street projects. The smallest portion, $3.5 million, will be dedicated to parks, $5.4 million to public safety equipment, and $7.4 million to municipal buildings and equipment.
Only vehicles 10 years or older are replaced. This is an ongoing program. Different vehicles are replaced each cycle.
Purchase of a fire apparatus
The City must plan the purchase of fire apparatuses years in advance due to supply chain issues. This apparatus will be needed during the five-year period to replace 20-year-old vehicle. Maintaining the proper equipment allows the City to hold a high ISO rating, which provides discounted insurance rates for Bartlesville residents.
Storm siren upgrade
The City’s 40-year-old sirens no longer work reliably and need to be replaced.
Community Center lighting upgrade
The Community Center, which is a trust of the City of Bartlesville, was constructed through G.O. Bond funding in 1983. The lighting technology has not been upgraded since construction and is no longer compatible with today’s technology. This prevents The Center from attracting larger shows for Bartlesville audiences.
Price Fields artificial turf
This will enable use of the Price Fields Complex fields during rainy seasons and assist with tournament recruitment.
This map shows the locations of capital projects completed throughout the city using 1/2-cent Capital Improvement Project Sales Tax and General Obligation Bond funding. More than $102 million in project have been completed with this funding since 1999. Voters will decide whether to extend the CIP sales and passage of the 2026 G.O. Bond in a Feb. 10 election. (Red shows street projects, purple denotes Pathfinder trail improvements, orange is storm sewer, and blue is water lines.)
Pathfinder Parkway improvements
This funding would provide improvements to several sections of the 12-mile recreational path, which are identified on an annual basis.
Explore the full list of projects and view descriptions for each:
View the PowerPoint presentation:
2026 Election Presentation
Voting
Early voting is available at the Washington County Election Board, which is located on the fourth floor of City Hall, at 401 S. Johnstone Ave.
Here is the early voting schedule:
- Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Regular voting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your local polling place.
Absentee voting is available. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by mail at the county election board on or before 7 p.m. on election day (Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026). Absentee ballots may also be delivered in person to the county election board on or before 5 p.m. on the Monday before election day.
For more information, please call the Washington County Election Board at 918.337.2850 or go online to the Oklahoma State Election board website. On the Oklahoma State Election board website, you can use the “OK Voter Portal” to confirm your voter registration, view sample ballots, find your polling place, request an absentee ballot, change your address or party affiliation and more.
Election FAQs
Will approval of any of this increase my taxes?
No. Approval of these funding mechanisms will not result in an increase in taxes. G.O. bonds are funded through ad valorem, or property taxes, which are paid by Bartlesville property owners. The City’s mil levy would remain at 15 with approval of the bond Issue, which would have no impact on ad valorem taxes. The 1/2-Cent CIP Sales Tax and 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax are both existing taxes. Approval would simply extend both taxes another five years.
I voted for a project in a past election that hasn’t even started yet. What is the reason for this?
There are many steps between an election and the availability of funding for the projects and equipment approved by voters in the election. For G.O. Bond elections, the funding is issued in traunches (fancy word for a series) over the duration of the bond term. This means that some projects are funded the first year of the term while others are scheduled for funding in subsequent years.
For Half-cent CIP Sales Tax elections, projects are funded as tax revenue becomes available over the duration of the CIP term.
Even after funding becomes available for use, keep in mind the design phase for most City projects is six months to one year, and the fact that there are only so many staff members available at a given time to work on these projects.
More information on this is available HERE.
Why aren’t we using this money to purchase alternative water resources?
Water, or, more specifically, water rights, cannot be purchased with G.O. Bond funds as state law requires that the City own the facility for which funding is being utilized. In the case of all current water-right options, the City does not own the water resources — these are owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a result, state law prevents the use of G.O. Bond funds for this purpose.
Sales tax revenue is not subject to the same ownership requirement. However, the water-resource options being pursued require either federal legislation, additional studies, or agreements with federal or other local governments. City staff is actively working on these efforts, but we are not yet in a position to designate funding for this item
Additionally, the City Council established a Capital Investment Fee many years ago to help fund projects of this nature. Bartlesville utility customers contribute to this fund through a fee included on their monthly utility bills. These revenues are used for necessary infrastructure improvements and to pursue additional water resources.
I keep hearing some of these projects are duplicated in multiple elections. Is this true?
No, it’s not true. The City has never proposed funding for the same project more than once. We’re not sure why this rumor is making the rounds, unless some people are confusing the categories (Streets, Parks, Public Safety, etc.) for projects. Or perhaps they don’t realize funding for multi-phased projects is often spread out over several bond issues. Either way, this statement is false.
I heard the City hasn’t completed many of the projects that voters have approved in the past and can’t account for the money they collected for them. Is this true?
No, this is not true. The City completes every project approved by voters, even though the law requires only that so-called “70 percent” or “priority” projects be completed. Any project that hasn’t been done yet is either in some stage of planning, i.e., design, bid, or construction, or it hasn’t been funded yet (see the second question and answer). Or, more rarely, there is simply not adequate staff to begin the projects at this time.
Can the City provide documentation that what they say is true? We need more transparency!
Absolutely! All G.O. Bond, sales tax and project information is contained in the City’s annual budget and audit reports. See www.cityofbartlesville.org for more information. And if you have a specific project in mind, let us know and we’ll track it down for you!
Do the project budgets include projected cost inflation?
Yes.