Bartlesville voters will decide the outcome of the City’s proposed $17.6 million General Obligation Bond Issue during an election set for Oct. 10, 2023. The election will determine funding for capital projects over a four-year period.
Approval of the measure will not result in tax increases for residents.
“The City’s mil levy will remain at 15 as existing bonds expire, so there is no tax increase associated with the G.O. Bond proposal,” said City Manager Mike Bailey.
Projects proposed in the G.O. Bond Issue are grouped into four propositions:
- Public safety buildings and equipment: $2,412,000
- Municipal buildings and equipment: $696,000
- Streets and bridges: $12,278,000
- Parks and recreation: $2,214,000
Registered voters who are eligible and who reside within the city limits of Bartlesville will be able to vote in this election. Please remember to bring identification such as a driver’s license or voter ID card.
Early voting is available at the Washington County Election Board. The Election Board is located on the fourth floor of City Hall, which is located at 401 S. Johnstone Ave. Here is the early voting schedule:
- Thursday, Oct. 5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 6, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Regular voting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 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 has passed. Absentee ballots must be received by mail at the county election board on or before 7 p.m. on election day (Tuesday, Oct. 10). For more information, call the Washington County Election Board at 918.337.2850 or go online to the Oklahoma State Election board website.
Seventy percent of the funding would be spent on street repairs throughout the city, including portions of the following streets:
Adams Boulevard- Silver Lake Road
- Jefferson Road
- Lupa
- Rockdale
- Cherokee
- Lahoma
- Michigan
- Southview
- Swan Drive
- Avondale
- Park Hill streets
- Spruce
- Greystone
- Rice Creek Road
- Valley and Denver
- Georgetown
“G.O. Bond funding pays for projects our citizens expect the municipal government to do,” said Bailey. “It pays for street projects, public safety, park projects, improvements to our facilities and upgrades to the software and other tools we need to provide services to our residents and the people who visit our great city.
“The bulk of the funding in this particular issue — 70 percent of it, in fact — would go toward repairing and improving our streets, which is vitally important for us to help ensure safety for our residents and everyone who visits our community.”
To view a description of street projects scheduled for proposed funding, see www.cityofbartlesville.org.
Other projects include a new fire station No. 2 at Hensley Boulevard and Virginia Avenue, which has plumbing, structural and slab issues that need to be addressed. The new station would be a three-bay facility and would be patterned after stations located on Madison Boulevard (No. 3) and Price Road (No. 4). The new station would be constructed in close proximity to the existing station so relocation or closure would not be necessary during construction. The older building would likely then be demolished or repurposed.
The package also includes the Adams Golf Course Greens Rebuild project, which is a continuation of rebuilding the greens at the golf course, with the first nine holes being rebuilt utilizing funds approved by voters in the 2020 G.O. Bond election.
“This funding would complete the project, rebuilding the remaining nine holes, putting green, chipping green, and nursery green,” said Assistant City Manager Tracy Roles.
Also included:
- Improvements to Pathfinder Parkway
- Security lighting in City-owned parks
- Wayfinding signs
- Shade structure at Douglass Park playground
- Hudson Lake restrooms
- Jo Allyn Lowe drainage improvements and trail lights
- Upgrade to the City’s core servers and UPS replacement
For more information, see GO Bond 2023: FAQ, projects.
