GO Bond 2018

2018 General Obligation Bond Projects

Voters approved a variety of projects, split into four categories on their ballots. 

Click any of the project areas below for details:

• • 1. Parks and Recreation: $8,260,000

    2. Streets: $5,120,000

    3. Facilities and Equipment: $1,995,000

    4. Storm Drainage: $1,125,000

The projects total $16.5 million, which includes the cost to issue the bonds (COI).

How were the projects decided?

Citizen input was crucial in determining what was included in each proposal. At any given time, the City of Bartlesville has a working list of capital needs that total over $100 million, reflecting ongoing and new priorities of its citizens. When it is time for a bond issue, city staff and citizen committees narrow the list and then the City Council is tasked with determining the bond amount and deciding which projects will be put before voters in an election. This process was recently completed, and now it’s time for the voters to decide.

Where does the money come from?

GO bonds are funded through ad valorem, or property taxes, which are paid by Bartlesville property owners.

Did approval of this bond issue increase my taxes?

NO. Approval of these projects did NOT result in an increase in taxes. The City’s mil levy remained at 15 with approval of the issue, which had no impact on ad valorem taxes.

What are “70 percent” and “30 percent” projects?

Oklahoma law requires that 70 percent of the projects in each category be specified on the ballot for a GO bond election. The remaining 30 percent are “discretionary” and are not placed on the ballot. Discretionary projects are not legally required for completion; however, the City of Bartlesville has completed all projects identified as “30 percent projects” in the past.

Project costs include the estimated cost to complete each project as well as the Cost of Issuance (COI). The COI is based on what it would cost to issue the bonds per project, which is roughly 2 percent of each project cost, rounded for clarity. “Seventy percent” project costs are presented as they will appear on the ballot.