Last Updated on November 28, 2023, 4:41 PM | Published: November 28, 2023
MOORE, Okla. — Moore residents cast their votes in favor of the GO (general obligation) bond on November 14th, passing the expansive street improvement proposition 56%-44%.
This GO bond is the largest in the City’s history and far outpaces the $17 million GO bond voters approved for streets and the Animal Shelter currently under construction.
Total turnout was 2,217 people, or 4% of Moore’s population. The official count shows that 1,250 residents voted for the GO bond, while 967 voted against.
About a quarter of all precincts voted against the proposition, while a couple of others voted in favor by almost double. Here are the results from some precincts around the City;
Precinct 140207: 105 Y – 102 N
Precinct 140212: 31 Y – 47 N
Precinct 140217: 105 Y – 61 N
Precinct 140214: 153 Y – 82 N
Construction projects and tax burden
The $49 million worth of road improvement and design projects around Moore are expansive. And, to cover that indebtedness, the City promised voters that the millage rate will not exceed 16.5 mills.
Cities pay for GO bonds through property taxes and so 16.5 mills represents $16.50 dollars of property tax for every $1,000 in taxable property value.
Many of the projects include substantial resurfacing, storm drainage improvements, and streetscaping. The City says that they will do their best to stagger the projects to minimize disruption to traffic flow.
Some of these projects include new designs to facilitate the planned improvements, but the vast majority of this funding is allocated to active construction.
Here is a list of the GO bond’s improvement projects:
- Resurfacing Shields Blvd & NW 27th St. Intersection $4,815,000
- Resurfacing Telephone Road (SW 19th St. to SW 34th St.) $10,910,000
- Engineering/Design/Resurfacing SW 34th St. (Little River to Eastern Ave.) $7,395,000
- Resurfacing Broadway/Eastern Roundabout & SE 24th St. Realignment Phase 1 $4,280,000
- Resurfacing S. 19th St. & Tower/Broadway Intersection to Eastern Phase 2 $6,120,000
- Resurfacing S. Broadway Ave. (Eastern Ave to Willow Pine) Phase 3 $5,100,000
- Engineering/Design/Resurfacing Santa Fe Ave & SW 19th St. Intersection $4,715,000
- Citywide Arterial Repair and Maintenance $3,570,000
Engineering projects for future development
There are a few projects that the GO bond only covers engineering for, and so the City of Moore will circle back later to begin construction.
In fact, the City is pursuing engineering and design in this GO bond to compete for ACOG funding that may end up covering the construction costs. ACOG requires that the design portions of roads the City applies for funding are already completed.
In the last few years, Moore has received at least $8 million in ACOG funding for various street projects.
Here are the details of the design/engineering-only projects
Past city-wide votes
Moore has had two bond elections since at least 2020, and citizens have passed those propositions.
In 2020, Moore’s ½ cent sales tax extension and hotel/motel use changes for parks and rec improvements both passed with over 60% of residents in favor.
The 2021 $17 million GO bond vote for street improvements and the new animal shelter also passed, with just about 65% of voters in support of the proposals.
Another ½ cent sales tax renewal in ‘22 passed with 70% of residents in favor, but a curbside recycling proposal early this year failed to pass with only 45% of residents voting for the service.
Although this $49 million GO bond passed with a clear majority, 56% is notably lower than some of these other previous propositions.
Nevertheless, Moore is gearing up for City-wide street improvements that are sure to reduce traffic buildup and pave the way for new business development.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
