Bartlesville residents will have several opportunities in January and early February to learn more about three funding measures that will appear on the Feb. 10 ballot. The City is launching a series of informal election presentations designed to give voters clear, accessible information and answer questions about the proposals.
City staff will hold evening meetings on Jan. 13, Jan. 27, and Feb. 3 at the Bartlesville Public Library. Each session will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A on the second floor of the library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave. The meetings are open to everyone, and additional presentations are being scheduled with civic groups, employers and community organizations.
“These meetings are an important chance for residents to hear directly from staff, ask questions, and understand exactly what these proposals mean for our community,” said City Manager Mike Bailey.
Background on the Feb. 10 ballot measures
Voters will decide whether to continue three long-standing programs that fund capital improvements and economic development:
- 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax
- 1/2-cent Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Sales Tax
- 2026 General Obligation Bond
Bailey emphasized that all three proposals represent ongoing programs rather than new taxes.
“None of these are new funding mechanisms — they are a continuation of what we have been doing for the past several decades,” he said. “Approval of all three will allow the City to continue funding capital improvements, such as streets, public safety and parks, and to continue economic development efforts over the next five years or so.”
No tax increase
There is no tax increase associated with the passage of any of the measures. Approval of both sales tax propositions would simply extend the existing sales taxes for capital projects and economic development, and approval of the G.O. Bond issue, which are repaid through property tax, would remain at a constant mil levy as well.
“We aim to keep our mil levy around 15 to ensure that there is no increase in property tax for Bartlesville residents,” Bailey said. “Approval of all three initiatives would simply allow us to continue the programs we’ve had in place for a very long time.”
Additional resources
Comprehensive information about the election — from project descriptions to FAQs — is available at www.cityofbartlesville.org/election-2026.