Survey shows strong support for tax option; committee warns quarter-cent permanence could limit capital projects

The Tahlequah Community Priorities Committee reviewed final survey results and preliminary project renderings on Feb. 6 as it prepares cost estimates and a possible ballot package for an August election.

The committee heard that Northeastern Health Systems (NHS) received the most first-place rankings, with other top choices including a community events center, a municipal government complex and an animal shelter. Speaker 5 (role not specified) summarized the weighted tallies and noted the survey had 313 respondents, of whom 173 were verified as registered voters by the vendor Polco.

Why it matters: committee members said the public must understand trade-offs before a ballot. Speaker 7 (role not specified) warned that if voters back a permanent quarter-cent sales-tax allocation to the general fund, ‘‘we can only do one of these’’ large projects, meaning some high-ranked capital improvements would have to be dropped. Speaker 5 estimated a permanent quarter-cent would produce about $1,250,000 a year; staff warned that dedicating part of the revenue could reduce bond capacity (staff cited a roughly $43 million bonding capacity estimate and said reserving revenue could lower available bonding by roughly one-third in some scenarios).

Survey details and fairness concerns: staff and committee members discussed how an outreach push from NHS produced a visible spike in responses that materially increased first-place votes for that project. Speaker 8 (role not specified, survey staff) showed a chart of the spike and agreed the NHS campaign ‘‘did work,’’ prompting members to discuss ways to control for concentrated outreach (for example, limiting selections with a visual budgeting tool so respondents must prioritize within a capped total).

Project renderings and costs: presenters reviewed preliminary renderings for multiple projects — a facelift and expanded community-use space at the senior center (Kaufman Park), cemetery improvements including a columbarium and permanent restrooms, smaller aquatic amenities such as a splash pad, a pavilion/event center tied to a possible city hall retrofit, and options for a new or additional fire station. Staff emphasized the images are conceptual and architects will provide cost estimates; the committee expects those estimates by the end of the month.

Timeline and next steps: the committee plans a final survey push in March, compile results in April and deliver a recommendation to the city council by mid-May so council can prepare ballot language before the June 10 deadline for an August 25 election. Speaker 8 said the survey tool could be modified to show a fixed budget and force prioritization; staff will explore that option and circulate talking points for outreach.

Closing: the committee did not take formal votes at this meeting. Public comment included Kim Darr (TPWA) recommending the group look at Fort Gibson Memorial Cemetery as an example of columbarium design. The committee left open additional meetings in March and April to refine options before making a recommendation to council.