Bond Forum engages larger audience

The Broken Arrow General Obligation Bond Forum, held at South Broken Arrow Baptist Church on Sept. 25, had the largest turnout of the three forums held throughout the city over the past month.

The City of Broken Arrow is seeking input from residents about which projects to include in the 2026 General Obligation Bond package.

General Obligation (GO) Bonds are financing tools that allow municipalities to use a city's portion of property tax revenue to pay for capital improvement projects for public infrastructure.

A vote of the people must approve GO Bonds, and the next vote will be held on April 7, 2026. The bond propositions will include capital projects to improve the following:

• Streets Proposition - Widen streets, expand intersections, rehabilitate residential roads, curbs, gutters, and traffic signals.
• Public Safety Proposition - Fire equipment, storm sirens, police/fire training center, animal shelter.
• Quality of Life Proposition - Community Center, parks, playground equipment, sports complexes.
• Facilities Proposition - Gathering places like the Rose District Plaza, Senior Center, Veterans Center, Museum Broken Arrow, Arts@302, Military History Center, and Community Playhouse.
• Stormwater and Drainage Proposition - Runoff and flooding mitigation.
• Library Proposition - A Tulsa City County Library plan to replace the South Broken Arrow Library.

Mayor Debra Wimpee thanked area residents for attending the event and touted Broken Arrow's placement in U.S. News & World Report's national ranking of the best places to live, as of May of this year.

"I don't know if you guys have heard, but we are THE number one place to live in the State of Oklahoma and the 12th best place to live in the nation, which is so awesome!" Wimpee said to a round of applause from the crowd.

City Manager Michael Spurgeon said, "Obviously, when you receive those kinds of accolades, there's a lot that goes into that without question. The quality of the people that live in our community is the main reason we're one of the best places to live and raise a family in the entire State of Oklahoma and in the country. We couldn't be prouder than to come before you and give you the opportunity to learn about these projects."

Spurgeon said there are approximately $600 million worth of projects, with only about $400 million available from the general obligation bond package.

"So, you telling us what the priorities are is extremely important to the Mayor and the Councilmembers because at some point they've got to narrow that amount of money down, and so you're input will be extremely important in letting us know what you think about these projects," Spurgeon said.

There was palpable excitement in the room as residents had the opportunity to discuss each of the projects presented at the stations throughout the church. Residents placed green stickers on the project boards that they believed should be prioritized from the list of projects.

"I'm excited about this meeting tonight. I know it's the third one that we've had, but this one just seems extra special to me," said Ina Lynn Dildine. "And I sure have put up a lot of green stickers tonight, because I think green means go!"

Broken Arrow voters have a history of supporting bond initiatives dating back to 1997.

"There's been a strong history of Broken Arrow voters coming out and approving bond packages that help maintain and expand the existing facilities that we have, but we take nothing for granted," Spurgeon said. "Obviously, we're going to work very hard to make this a package that you support to be able to approve the projects. We want to be sure that you feel comfortable with what is presented to the public on April 7 of next year."

Sherry Wilson, a Broken Arrow resident of 26 years, expressed her enthusiasm for expanding Elam Park in South Broken Arrow.

"Elam Park will be a very nice addition, also to do some things there, that park is beautiful!" Wilson said. "There's so much that we could improve on in Broken Arrow. I feel like it's a very good community to live in. I've lived here for a long time, so I'm pleased."

Daniel Schlagel has lived in the city for five years. He says it is essential for citizens to share their thoughts with those making decisions.

"It's important to have a voice for where we want to go with the direction of the city," he said.

Forty-five-year resident Darlene Truman, who has seen a lot of growth in the city, agreed.

"All of the projects stood out, and the participation in each project, where you could put your little green dot and say what you really wanted, I appreciate that they care what we want done," Truman said.

Three-year resident Kayelee Avery is looking toward the future and what these projects would mean to her young family. She mentioned several projects that she thought were worthwhile, including the new library in south Broken Arrow, the grain tower, street widenings, sports complexes, and event spaces.

"All of it is going to be big for our kids, who aren't in school yet," Avery said. "By the time these things are built, they will be right at the age that they get to really enjoy the activities, and I'm really excited about that."

Now that the forums have concluded, the city will compile the citizen data into a report which will be used to pare down the project list. The list will be given to the City Council for review and recommendations. Final approval by the City Council is expected in December or January.