Residents prioritize bond projects at forums

Momentum is increasing among Broken Arrow residents who are becoming more engaged with the 2026 General Obligation Bond package and its potential impact for the community.

This includes new residents Emily Nitty and her mother, Marie Woodward, who moved to Broken Arrow in March of this year. They attended the second General Obligation Bond Forum held at the Broken Arrow High School Events Center on Sept. 3.

"Despite how geographically big the city is, it still feels like a small town, so I love that," Nitty said. "It's clean, I feel safe here. You know we came from another state, and it was crowded, and it felt like the community didn't care. It feels like here, everybody does care."

Nitty discovered proposed enhancements to infrastructure, public safety, an expanded animal shelter, and a new library in south Broken Arrow are all under consideration for the 2026 General Obligation Bond package.

"As the city grows, they're taking into account the residents and what we want and also accounting for the potential impact on traffic and streets. So yeah, I learned a lot."

Woodward agreed and said, "It feels like a small community that's big if that makes sense. You know it still has charm, but they're really putting their money where their mouth is and asking the public where we want improvements. That's important, it really is."

Vice Mayor Johnnie Parks said one of the things that makes Broken Arrow great is that the city is willing to take its ad valorem tax dollars and invest them into the community.

"We do that in a way that you decide, we want to know what you say," Parks said.

Those who missed the two previous forums still have one more opportunity to attend a General Obligation Bond Public Forum on Sept. 25. They'll learn about the proposed projects and have the chance to speak directly with city officials about which of the proposed projects matter most. The next General Obligation Bond Public Forum will be held at South Broken Arrow Baptist Church, 7815 S. Elm Pl., from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The forums are the latest initiative by the city to ask which particular projects are most important to you. Those in attendance unofficially vote for projects by placing stickers on the various project stations. Scribes are also present at each station to record comments and concerns about each initiative. City staff will collect the data after each event, compile it, and the City Manager will present it to the City Council at a future meeting.

The Council is responsible for reviewing the data and deciding which of the approximately $600 million in projects will be reduced to about $400 million that will actually be included in the 2026 General Obligation Bond package.

City Manager Michael Spurgeon said the city has been gathering information for approximately 16 months, beginning with the Comprehensive Community Survey in 2024.

"We have done essentially six different micro surveys, and we've asked the public's input on the various possible projects and the different propositions, and we've gotten great feedback," Spurgeon said. "We've had meetings with community groups that use our public facilities. We've had meetings with HOAs, civic groups, and the school districts."

The department directors of the city proposed their vision for various community improvements.

"And we created a citizen steering committee made up of your peers, the people that live here, that are vested in this community and let them weigh in on the projects that Council has to consider," Spurgeon said.

"They gave their recommendations a couple of months ago. We're going through those recommendations. And so, we try to be as transparent as possible about how we've gone through this process."

Resident Denise Mason complimented the city's efforts.

"This city does a great job listening to its people and then implementing and acting on the suggestions that are made," Mason said.

The City Manager defined what a General Obligation Bond is and how it works.

"General Obligation Bonds are financing mechanisms that allow municipalities to use the city's portions of the property tax revenue to pay for capital improvement projects or public infrastructure," said Spurgeon.

Some citizens have asked why General Obligation Bonds are necessary. Spurgeon says that General Obligation Bonds are crucial because sales tax revenue isn't enough to fund large-scale projects.

"For example, to go from two lanes to a five-lane road, widening could be anywhere between $8 million and $10 million," so we historically have gone to the voters and asked them for their support."

Broken Arrow voters have voted in support of bond packages for the last two decades because, as Spurgeon says, "Everyone wants a great quality of life."

The City Council, the City Manager, and the city staff have been endeavoring to keep citizens well-informed about the bond process as it progresses.

"And I can tell you, it's so moving to me and I'm so proud that our voters come out to learn about the projects so that when they go into the voting booth next April, they'll be well informed."

The General Obligation Bond package will go before voters on April 7, 2026. For more information, go to 2026 General Obligation Bond.