April 3, 2012

Voters in the Tonkawa, Newkirk, Braman, McCord School Districts will go to the polls on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 to vote on school issues.

NEWKIRK/BRAMAN - (Sample Ballot) FINAL
Braman and Newkirk voters will decide whether they want to consolidate the two school districts on July 1, 2012.

The issue must be approved by both school districts and can be approved by a simple majority.

Both school boards approved resolutions in January calling for the election on April 3.

According to the resolution passed by both boards, if the question is approved by both school districts, Braman schools (K-8) will remain open for at least two years and two seats representing Braman will be added to the Newkirk Board of Education for two years.

If the two schools consolidate, Newkirk would receive $500,000 from the state for voluntary consolidation. A portion of that money would be spent on restrooms at Braman to make them handicapped accessible. The remainder would be spent as the district decides.

If the issue is passed, property taxes in Braman would be raised by 10 mills from 19 to 29. Newkirk property taxes would be unchanged.
If the election passes, all assets and liabilities from Braman would transfer to the new combined district.

All Braman staff members re-hired as of June 30, 2012, would have their contracts honored by the Newkirk district.

AGAINST THE CONSOLIDATION - NO: 237 - 46.65%

The proposition calls for the money to be used primarily for a 900-seat event center that would be placed in the area of the current baseball field.

Improvements to the high school cafeteria, elementary cafeteria storage, heating and air conditioning and the roof at a cost of nearly $250,000.

AGAINST THE PROPOSITION - NO: 132 - 31.73%

Proposition No. 1 is for $645,000 to be used for the purpose of constructing, equipping, repairing and remodeling school buildings, acquiring school furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The funds are also to be used for improving school sites.

Proposition No. 2 is for $170,000 to be used for the purchase of transportation equipment and would levy and collect an annual tax in addition to all other taxes upon all the taxable property in the school district.

Boyd Braden, McCord Principal explained the bond issues.

“The bond vote will be for a $645,000 Building Bond in two series and a $170,000 Transportation Bond in two series,” he said. “In series means part of the bond would be put on the tax rolls now and part at a later time. Series I is to acquire and install technology equipment such as computers, textbooks, classroom furniture, cafeteria equipment, water proofing cafeteria/office building, and vacuum sweepers. The Transportation series I Bond is to acquire a new bus. Series II Building Bond is to acquire and install a metal roof for the cafeteria office building, new heat and air-conditioning, textbooks, technology equipment, cafeteria equipment, and lawn mower, and the Transportation series II Bond is to acquire a new bus.”

Boyd said the McCord district has computers that are three years old that run slow and have bad power supplies.

He added that most of the classroom furniture is over 25 year old and is chipped and warped.

AGAINST THE PROPOSITION #1 - NO: 34 - 44.74.%

AGAINST THE PROPOSITION #2 - NO: 33 - 42.31%

Ponca City voters will go to the polls Tuesday, April 3, 2012 to vote on continuing the half-cent dedicated sales tax which funds street improvements in Ponca City.

This is the fifth time voters have been asked to renew the sales tax since it was first approved on July 14, 1987, for a five-year term. Each time, voters have approved the extension of the tax — in 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007.

Mayor Homer Nicholson said the half-cent tax generates approximately $1.8 million per year, with about 35 percent of that coming from non-residents of Ponca City.

“The tax dollars can only be spent within city limits and can be used to buy material for city use, but not to pay for city equipment or labor,” Nicholson said.

When the issue was first approved in 1987, an ad hoc task force developed an expenditure policy which contained two key components, Nicholson said.

The first component was to develop a selection process to determine which repairs would be made from the dedicated fund. A pavement management system provides for the objective selection of projects based on user benefit as well as cost benefit, Nicholson said.

“Streets are tested and surface and base condition numbers are used to project appropriate treatments and the most cost-effective timing of improvements,” Nicholson said.

The second component is balancing the funds between maintenance, which is allocated 65 percent of the tax fund, and capital projects, which get 35 percent of the fund.

Since the first time the half-cent tax was approved in 1987, it has generated $42,768,562 in total revenue, including the actual revenue through fiscal year 2010-11 plus budgeted revenue for fiscal year 2011-12. Ponca City’s roadway infrastructure includes 66 miles of asphalt streets, 19 miles of chip and seal streets, 69 miles of concrete streets and 21 miles of brick streets, for a total of 175 miles of streets in total.

Taking into account multiple-lane roads, there are 406 lane-miles of streets within the city limits, Nicholson said.

Since the inception of the sales tax fund, total expenditures to date have been $41,701,783. An additional $10,586,316 in outside matching funds also have gone into Ponca City’s street projects in that time.

What have residents gotten for their tax money in the past five years? Major improvement projects have included:

• Reconstruction of Seventh Street between Fresno Avenue and Hartford Avenue.
• Widening and overlay of Highland Avenue from Flormable Street to Waverly Street.
• Installation of video cameras to detect traffic on Fourteenth Street from Grand Avenue to Knight Avenue.
• Reconstruction of major concrete intersections on Fourteenth Street from Highland Avenue to Prospect Avenue.
• Installation of audible pedestrian signals at 15 intersections.
• Reconstruction of Ash Street from Highland Avenue to Overbrook Avenue.
• Reconstruction with new curb and gutter on Pecan Road from Juanito to Lake Road.
• Reconstruction of Pecan Road from Hartford Avenue to Prospect Avenue.
• Mill and overlay of Fifth Street from Hartford Avenue to Prospect Avenue.
• Reconstruction and widening to four lanes on Hartford Avenue from Ash Street to Waverly Street.
• Widen and overlay Union Street from Hubbard Road to Prospect Avenue.
• Widen for left turn lanes and new traffic signals Highland Avenue, Virginia Street and Seventh Street.
• Reconstruction and widening with new curb and gutters on Waverly Street from Prospect Avenue to Sykes Boulevard (in progress).
• Local street maintenance of 71 lane-miles, which includes improvements ranging from crack sealing to reconstruction.

Nicholson said future projects include:

• Widening Prospect Avenue to four lanes from Union Street to Ash Street beginning in May.
• A new bridge on L.A. Cann at Lake Ponca, with 10-foot separated walking trail and aesthetic features, including stamped and stained concrete finishes, terraced banks, decorative railings, period street lights and accent lighting under the bridge. Construction is scheduled for October.
• A new bridge on L.A. Cann at Turkey Creek, with shoulders. Construction is tentatively scheduled for October 2013.
• Completion of five-year transportation goals from the Comprehensive Community Plan, which include improving the efficiency of the street system through more connections and better continuity, and funding necessary infrastructure and facilities to promote alternative transportation modes.
• Annual maintenance projects for the next five years at an average expenditure of $1.5 million per year.

AGAINST THE PROPOSITION - NO: 180 - 15.09%

Early voting will be conducted Monday at the Kay County Courthouse from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and at the Osage County Courthouse.

Identification is required to vote.