OKC Standard

Residents are invited to provide input on Oklahoma City’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2024.

People can visit okc.gov/budget to review a copy of the proposed budget book and use the online form to submit comments by June 4. People can also text comments to (405) 252-1053 or email them to budgetcomments@okc.gov.

An overview of City Manager Craig Freeman’s proposed budget was presented to Oklahoma City Council on May 2. Budget presentations were also made by Public Transportation and Parking, the Police Department and Fire Department.

Culture and Recreation, Development Services and the Planning Department are scheduled to make budget presentations on May 16, and Public Works, Utilities and Airports are scheduled to make their presentations May 30.

Budget adoption is scheduled for June 6, which is before the state’s statutory deadline.

The City Council meetings can be watched live and recorded on the City’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/cityofokc.

“Thanks to strong sales tax growth over the past 12 months, we are able to moderately increase our fiscal year budget for 2024, while being prepared to respond to a potential economic downturn in the next year,” said City Manager Craig Freeman. “I want to thank our departments for their hard work to propose a budget that best serves our residents.

Budget overview 

The operating budget which pays for day-to-day operations, is budgeted at $904.3 million.

The proposed budget includes funding for 5,108 full-time positions, which is an increase of 119 positions (2.4%) from FY 23. Many of the positions are funded by resources outside of the general fund, such as the Airports and Utilities Trust.

Budget highlights

Fire Department 

In total, the Fire Department proposes adding 50 positions: six firefighters, four logistics positions and 40 positions to supplement ambulance service provided by EMSA.

Police Department 

The Police Department proposes adding 14 civilian positions. The positions include one Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) coordinator, three civilian DNA forensic scientists, two civilian computer forensic investigative specialists, one senior buyer, one financial services manager, two civilian community relations coordinators, two civilian digital media positions and two administrative positions.

In addition, the FY24 Police Budget includes $1.1 million for the real-time information center.

Development Services 

Proposes adding five positions, including one Electrical Inspector I, one Plans Examiner, one Animal Welfare representative, one Senior Customer services representative and one code inspector I position.

Public Transportation and Parking 

Proposes adding 16 COTPA positions focused on repair and maintenance of the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, one business development specialist, one municipal accountant III. Also, proposed are three utilities maintenance II positions and a systems analyst to support new bus shelters.

The City’s subsidy of COTPA is proposed to increase by $7.7 million.

Utilities 

Proposes adding 17 positions: one Engineering Assistant II to review residential permits, one Engineering Assistant II to the asset management section, one Civil Engineer IV to oversee the program at TAFB, one Administrative Specialist for tech purchases, two Collection/distribution Crew Supervisors for the automated meter reading system, one Administrative Coordinator for purchasing and payroll, two Environmental Technicians, three Plant Operator III’s, one System Analyst for the Learning Management System Software, one administrative coordinator in administration and one database technician and two water service technicians for the water line maintenance program, and one administrative coordinator in the HR section.

Airports

Proposes adding six additional positions. Four positions will be located in the Administration Line of Business. They include: 1) an Assistant Municipal Counselor I to assist with the increasing grant and capital projects activity in the department 2) a Trust Specialist provide administrative support to the Airport Trust 3) a Purchasing Specialist to consolidate the procurement function across all three airport locations 4) a System Support Specialist I to address the increased workload from the Will Rogers Terminal Expansion. An Engineering Assistant I is added to the Property Management and Development Division to develop layouts for construction projects. Lastly, an Airport Operations Officer is added to the Airfield Operations Division to assist with workload and provide additional leave coverage.

Information Technology

Proposes adding eight positions: two positions to support enterprise business applications, one position in the Network Program, one position in Application Support, one system support specialist to support Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) services, one position to the Software Development Program and two positions in the Public Safety Communications Program.

City Manager's Office 

Proposes adding four positions: one digital graphic technician in the Print Shop, one special program coordinator to support the Human Rights Commission, one special program coordinator position for homelessness (moved from the Planning Department to the City Manager’s Office). The last position makes permanent an Assistant City Manager position added in the prior year.

Task Force Recommendations

City staff continues to implement recommendations from the Law Enforcement Policy Task Force and Community Policing Working Group, the Homelessness Task Force and Human Rights Commission. One special programs coordinator has been hired to staff each of the following groups: The Human Rights Commission, Homelessness Task Force and Law Enforcement Policy Task Force/Community Policing Working Group.

The FY24 budget adds to these efforts with additional support personnel outlined in the departmental budgets below and still retains $2.4 million in the Non-Departmental budget of the General Fund to implement additional task force recommendations. These funds are in addition to the improvements funded in the FY24 budget, such as Planning’s contract with the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma for Homeless Outreach Services, which was funded at $600,000.

Other Departments

• Finance proposes restoring a management specialist position in the Treasury division.
• Municipal Counselors Office proposes adding a temporary overage of one assistant municipal counselor II to support the civil branch.
• Culture and Recreation proposes adding one GIS analyst and $500,000 to operate the Willa Johnson Recreation Center.
• Planning proposes adding an associate planner to support homelessness initiatives and an assistant planner to support Arts and Cultural Affairs and Urban Design.
• Public Works proposes adding Three positions to start a Human Resources Program and an administrative specialist for agenda management.
• Human Resources proposes adding an HR Information Systems Assistant and makes permanent a benefits coordinator overage.
• Municipal Court proposes adding $45,000 for maintenance and $45,000 for employee training.
• General Services proposes funding for repairs in the Fleet Maintenance program and $10.2 million in capital funding for next fiscal year’s list of maintenance items.
• MAPS: The proposed budget for MAPS 3 is 45.7 million and the proposed budget for MAPS 4 is $225.3 million.
• Better Streets, Safer City: The proposed budget for Better Streets, Safer City is $83.1 million.

Funding 

Oklahoma City’s largest single source of revenue is sales tax, which pays for day-to-day services. Every time you shop in Oklahoma City or buy something online, you’re investing in your community.

The City gets 4.125% of taxable sales made in Oklahoma City, or when people from Oklahoma City buy something online. Of that, 2.25% goes to the General Fund that pays for day-to-day operations. About half to two-thirds of the General Fund is for public safety – our Police and Fire Departments.

Police and Fire also have a dedicated public safety sales tax of ¾ of a cent. The OKC Zoo gets 1/8th of a cent, and finally there’s the MAPS 4 temporary penny sales tax.

The City also gets about 13% of your total property tax bill. Our share goes to paying off the general obligation bonds we use for bond projects in the Better Streets, Safer City program. That funds improvements to streets, parks, Police and Fire facilities and other needs for the next several years. Check them out at okc.gov/BetterSafer. The rest of your property tax goes elsewhere – public schools, libraries, vocational schools and the county government.

Hotel tax charged on hotel room stays is the City’s only other significant source of tax revenue. It’s dedicated to promoting tourism and capital improvements at the OKC Fairgrounds.

The City also gets some revenue comes from franchise fees, building permits, business licenses, fines, service changes and fees. Visit okc.gov/tax for an overview on our revenue.

Budget background 

The budget is guided by feedback received from an annual resident survey. Information from the survey also helps the City Council set priorities. Those priorities are:

• Promote safe, secure and thriving neighborhoods.
• Develop a transportation system that works for all residents.
• Maintain strong financial management.
• Enhance recreational opportunities and community wellness.
• Encourage a robust local economy.
• Uphold high standards for all City services.
• Continue to pursue social and criminal justice reforms.

Find your Council member’s contact information at okc.gov/council. Visit okc.gov/WardMap to see who represents you. Find Council agendas, including instructions on how to watch or sign up to speak for meetings held by teleconference, at okc.gov/agenda.

The budget process begins each February with a City Council budget workshop. This year’s workshop was Feb. 7 and featured a five-year forecast that included presentations from the Finance Department and economist Dr. Russell Evans.

The budget hearings in the spring and budget adoption in June finish the budget process every year. When necessary, the Council adopts amendments to the budget in the middle of the fiscal year.

Visit okc.gov/agenda for City Council meeting agendas, including instructions on how to sign up to speak.

Original source can be found here.