Lawton council approves third amendment to downtown TIF plan; emergency declared

The Lawton City Council approved a third amendment to the city’s downtown tax increment financing (TIF) project plan and declared an emergency to allow the ordinance to take effect immediately.

A city planner summarized the amendment, stressing it does not change the original purpose of the downtown project plan approved in 2006 or extend the duration of the existing increment districts. Instead, the amendment creates two new increment districts (labeled TIF A and TIF B), expands the project area to include Elmer Thomas Park and nearby educational and cultural properties, updates the budget to current costs and allocates 10% of TIF revenue from the two new districts to STEM programs.

The presenter also said there is “a purchase sale agreement on the property shown as TIF A for a grocery store,” a development the planner characterized as significant for downtown revitalization.

The council opened a second public hearing, heard no speakers, and then approved the ordinance and the emergency declaration by unanimous vote, 8–0.

What happens next: The ordinance authorizes project area boundaries and allows the city to use ad valorem and sales/use/occupancy tax increments for eligible project costs as the council designates projects and specific subareas (TIF A/B) in future actions.