Join us tonight for the first Town Hall Meeting on the proposed penny sales tax for infrastructure!
📅 When: Tonight at 6:00 PM
📍 Where: Choctaw Road Baptist Church – 14971 E Reno
Learn about the upcoming Penny Sales Tax Election and how it will impact our community. Here are a few key points we'll be discussing:
Infrastructure Challenges Facing Choctaw:
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion: The plant is nearing capacity and requires a $22 million expansion to meet the demands of our growing population.
• Aging Water Lines: Many of our water lines are over 50 years old and need to be completely replaced to ensure safe and reliable water delivery.
• Road Resurfacing and Repairs: Our roads have been largely neglected for over 20 years and need extensive resurfacing and repairs.
The proposed penny sales tax, as written on the ballot, will be legally dedicated to infrastructure—Water, Wastewater, and Roads—ensuring that every dollar raised will go directly toward improving Choctaw’s essential infrastructure.
Please note: The City of Choctaw does not receive any property taxes. For full transparency, the City’s Budget and Audit documents are available for public viewing on the City of Choctaw Budgets and Yearly Audits webpage of the city website. https://www.mychoctaw.org/page/city-of-choctaw-yearly-audits
The next City Council/CUA meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 6:00 pm at City Hall. Agendas can be found on the City website at https://www.mychoctaw.org/documents/government/agenda-center/city-council---choctaw-utilities-authority/2025-council%2Fcua-agendas/737643
Growth and Infrastructure Needs in Choctaw
Over the last two decades, the City of Choctaw has experienced significant growth, including increases in both population and business activity. However, a large portion of these businesses were located within a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, meaning the city did not directly collect sales taxes from them until mid-2024. The taxes collected during this period were exclusively used to cover the costs incurred in developing the TIF district.
While Choctaw’s growth is a positive development, it has also highlighted the challenges of maintaining and upgrading essential infrastructure. As the city continues to grow, the need to replace aging infrastructure has become urgent. Many of our water lines are over 50 years old and require full replacement, our roads have been largely unmaintained for over 20 years, and Choctaw’s wastewater treatment plant is nearing capacity. In fact, to meet future demands, the plant requires a critical $22 million expansion.
The proposed penny sales tax, as written on the ballot, must be legally dedicated to infrastructure—Water, Wastewater, and Roads. This ensures that every dollar raised will go directly to improving Choctaw’s essential infrastructure.
Please note: The City of Choctaw does not receive any property taxes. For full transparency, the City’s Budget and Audit documents are available for public viewing on the Finance/Treasurer webpage of the city website. https://www.mychoctaw.org/page/finance-treasurer
City Council’s Decision to Pursue a Penny Sales Tax
In August, the Choctaw City Council reviewed several funding options for essential capital improvements. These included a $36 capital improvement fee on all utility bills (including those with only trash service), a bond issue that would raise property taxes, and a penny sales tax. After careful consideration, the Council concluded that a sales tax would be the fairest and most sustainable solution for addressing the city's infrastructure needs. Additionally, the Council raised water and sewer connection "tap" fees for new builds, increasing them from under $1,000 to $4,000 each.
This proposal ensures that both residents and visitors contribute to funding critical improvements and maintenance. Visitors from surrounding areas who shop and dine in Choctaw will help share the tax burden, making it a collective responsibility.
The proposed sales tax increase is expected to generate approximately $2.1 million in additional revenue annually, which will be dedicated specifically to addressing our infrastructure needs.
Infrastructure Challenges Facing Choctaw:
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion: The plant is nearing capacity and requires a $22 million expansion to meet the demands of our growing population.
• Aging Water Lines: Many of our water lines are over 50 years old and need to be completely replaced to ensure safe and reliable water delivery.
• Road Resurfacing and Repairs: Our roads have been largely neglected for over 20 years and need extensive resurfacing and repairs.
These infrastructure improvements are critical to protecting public health and safety while preparing Choctaw for continued growth.
The proposed penny sales tax, as written on the ballot, will be legally dedicated to infrastructure—Water, Wastewater, and Roads—ensuring that every dollar raised will go directly toward improving Choctaw’s essential infrastructure.
Please note: The City of Choctaw does not receive any property taxes. For full transparency, the City’s Budget and Audit documents are available for public viewing on the Finance/Treasurer webpage of the city website. https://www.mychoctaw.org/page/finance-treasurer
City Offices will be closed on New Year's Day.
The city's internet and phone systems are currently restored and working.
The city's internet and phone systems are currently offline. We will provide an update as soon as the services are restored.
Please Vote on February 11th.
The upcoming Regular Planning Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 2nd has been canceled. Agendas can be found at the City's Website at https://www.mychoctaw.org/documents/government/agenda-center/planning-commission/2025-planning-commission-agendas/737649
During the weeks leading up to February 11th, the City will provide information about an upcoming vote on a proposed penny sales tax increase dedicated exclusively to Water, Wastewater, and Roads. This proposal is similar to the dedicated hotel/motel tax approved by citizens in 2011, which can only be used for Parks and Recreation. The proposed penny sales tax will be legally dedicated to infrastructure improvement and maintenance for Water, Wastewater, and Roads.
It’s important for our citizens to understand that, unlike most states, Oklahoma law does not allow cities to collect property taxes for operational purposes. In many other states, property taxes often match or exceed sales taxes as the primary source of municipal revenue. However, for the City of Choctaw, sales tax revenue remains the only significant source of tax income. This makes the proposed increase vital to addressing the community's infrastructure needs.
Additionally, the City’s Budget and Audit documents are available for public viewing on the Finance/Treasurer webpage of the city website. These documents are published to ensure transparency in the City’s financial operations and governance. https://www.mychoctaw.org/page/finance-treasurer
The City Council/CUA will meet in special session on Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 2:30 pm at City Hall. Agendas can be found on the City website at https://www.mychoctaw.org/documents/government/agenda-center/city-council---choctaw-utilities-authority/2025-council%2Fcua-agendas/737643
Merry Christmas!
🎅✨ Reminder! ✨🎅
NORAD begins tracking Santa tomorrow at 4 AM ET / 3 AM Central Time! 🌍🎄
Visit https://www.noradsanta.org/en/ or call 1-877-446-6723 to find out where Santa is on his journey!🎁🎅
Don’t miss out—keep an eye on the skies!
Happy Holidays!
🎄✨ Happy Holidays from the City of Choctaw! ✨🎄
As the holiday season is upon us, we want to take a moment to wish all of our residents and visitors a joyous and peaceful season. May your holidays be bright and filled with love, peace, comfort, and hope this Christmas.
From all of us at the City of Choctaw, thank you for being part of our wonderful community. Here’s to a season of joy and a new year filled with promise!
🎄 Today is the Holiday Luncheon for our staff! 🎉 City Hall will be closed from 12 PM to 2 PM. Thank you for your understanding! ⏰
🚨 Reminder: The railroad tracks in Choctaw are active! If you're at a red light, make sure to stop before the tracks—not on them. Stay safe, Choctaw! 🚦🚂
The City Council/CUA will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, December 23, 2024 at 9:00 am at City Hall. Agendas can be found on the City website at https://www.mychoctaw.org/documents/government/agenda-center/city-council---choctaw-utilities-authority/2024-council%2Fcua-agendas/560467
We’ve had an amazing response to the survey for the OTRD Trails Grant, and we’d love to see even more responses! Your input will be included in the grant application. This grant is through the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department’s Recreational Trails Program, which helped fund Phase 1 of the trail. Now, we’re working to expand Phase 1, and your feedback is crucial to making that happen. Please take a moment to fill out the survey if you haven’t already!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JXCGMBV
Choctaw City Hall will be closed from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Thursday, December 19th for the staff’s holiday luncheon.
