Midwest City Mayor and Oklahoma County leaders oppose jail sales tax proposal
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. – An ongoing funding debate puts a $500 million gap in question as Oklahoma County commissioners try and find ways to gather enough money to fund and finish the new Oklahoma County jail project.
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A proposed sales tax, introduced back in January, would be the first-ever permanent sales tax issued for the county, which has garnered pushback from several local communities.
County Commissioners gained the support of the Oklahoma County Jail Trust in February. The trust is currently at risk of being dissolved.
Why city leaders oppose the sales tax
- Officials said they do not trust county leaders to properly manage new jail funding.
- They argued the proposal would create a tax that “goes on forever” with no sunset and no clear limits on how the money would be spent.
- They said cities depend on sales tax for daily operations, so a county tax increase would cut into local revenue.
Main argument: mismanagement, not just money
- Officials repeatedly said the jail’s biggest problem is mismanagement, not simply underfunding.
- They pointed to poor oversight, staffing shortages, maintenance failures and bad budgeting decisions.
- One speaker said county leaders are asking taxpayers to bail out management failures instead of fixing them.
What they say should happen instead
- Repair and maintain the existing jail rather than pursue an expensive new facility.
- Properly fund staffing and operations within the current budget structure.
- Consider shifting jail management back to the sheriff’s office.
- Explore other funding sources such as bonds, grants or other financing options instead of a permanent sales tax.
Midwest City Mayor Matt Dukes has created what he calls a coalition with Oklahoma County community leaders, to oppose any type of proposed sales tax that would fund the new jail…