EDMOND —
To the Editor:
A level playing field in Edmond may never be the same after the workshop at the City Council Chambers April 10 at high noon. The medicine men sold the audience on how wonderful the new complex will be at the corner of Interstate 35 and Covell.
Listening intently to the developers showing a 170,000-square-foot indoor sports complex and a multi-level 165-room hotel with 20,000-square-foot conference center the attendees of the open meeting could almost see the sales tax dollars rolling in. It was supported by the Assistant City Manager Steve Common’s positive input.
In Edmond’s past (prior to 2012) developers always had to go the extra mile to please Edmond’s staff, fire departments and inspectors to go through a development with land, a large enough detention area, and many times had to give up land to the city to secure a building permit, such as a 17-foot right-of-way for road widening. Lots of developers thought of this as extortion.
Times have changed. Here is the 2012 pitch, which has some of the city leaders very excited. The new program is extortion in reverse. The builders or developers will build at this corner if the city will purchase a 19-acre track for $2 million for a sports complex and a 7.5-acre track for $2.2 million for a hotel and convention center.
Now the financial gymnastics kick in. When the city owns the land it is automatically taken off the property tax rolls. When asked about the structures built on this non-taxable land, they will not be taxed either.
Edmond Public Schools receive about 62.5 percent of the property tax, Francis Tuttle receives about 1.48 percent, Oklahoma County-wide schools .38 percent, and the Metropolitan Library System received .49 percent from the ad valorum, or property tax.
This project with the sports complex and hotel will run well more than $50 million untaxed.
I know a convention center is needed and would be nice, but to subsidize the developers with $11 million toward a facility with no property tax makes the playing field very difficult for existing hotels, sports complexes, fitness centers and restaurants to compete with these new non-taxed entities..
The three elected and two appointed City Council members must decide what is fair for present business owners and what is best for the city. In my opinion if Edmond is the hot spot for conventions, private industry would already have made the move.
Pete Reeser
Edmond
Letters to the Editor
LETTER: The Medicine Men came to Edmond
- Letters to the Editor
-
-
Oklahoma cannot stand alone
o the Editors:
President Obama visited Oklahoma on Sunday. He assured us that Oklahoma would receive every support needed to rebuild after our devastating storm. Gov. Fallin told reporters that she would “hold his feet to the fire.” Ask the people of Missouri or in New Jersey if the president needs to have his feet held to the fire!
This was the second time for President Obama to visit Oklahoma. In March of 2012, no Oklahoma top official greeted our president. Choosing to snub our president, Gov. Mary Fallin left for a family vacation in Puerto Rico and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb attended a conference in Washington. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett did greet the president on his arrival at Tinker Air Force Base. Thank you, Mayor Cornett, for your respect and sense of protocol! - LETTER: Words of comfort for the many recent storm victims
-
Senators give criminals a pass
Oklahoma’s U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe were among 45 senators who recently helped block a sensible measure to reduce gun violence. Specifically, they voted down a measure to expand background checks for gun buyers — a step favored by 86 percent of Americans, according to recent polls. Our senators were not even asked to vote for tougher measures like bans on military-type assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, also favored by 56 percent of Americans, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
-
LETTER: Senators give criminals a pass
To the Editor:
Oklahoma’s U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe were among 45 senators who recently helped block a sensible measure to reduce gun violence. Specifically, they voted down a measure to expand background checks for gun buyers — a step favored by 86 percent of Americans, according to recent polls. Our senators were not even asked to vote for tougher measures like bans on military-type assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, also favored by 56 percent of Americans, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
By opposing background checks for gun buyers, Sens. Coburn and Inhofe voted in favor of allowing the mentally ill and criminals to buy guns! They call it “Second Amendment” rights. I call it cash for their campaigns from the gun lobby. -
LETTER: Postal carriers seek to ‘Stamp out Hunger’
To the Editor:
On Saturday, help your letter carrier “Stamp Out Hunger” by leaving canned food donations by your mailbox. In Edmond, donations benefit the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s partner agencies HOPE Center of Edmond, Route 66 Project and Edmond Grace Fellowship. This effort is part of the 21st annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive, which is the largest one-day food drive in America. -
LETTER: Unanswered prayer leads to lower taxes, honorable policy makers
To the Editor:
In a recent column, Oklahoma Rep. Jason Murphy (“How a no vote solved gas tax problem,” The Edmond Sun, April 30, 2013) commended the wise and educated voters of Oklahoma for seeing through the 2005 fuel tax increase and demanding more action of our state policy makers. With the recent work of our elected officials, along with the Department of Transportation, our roads and bridges have seen much improvement during the past couple of years. -
LETTER: Senate bills will help veterans living in centers
To the Editor:
I just viewed a short video done by Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie who recounts the rescue of downed Vietnam pilot RogerLocher in April 1972. Ritchie said that Loche’s rescue was the farthest behind enemy lines and superceded all air operations that day. -
LETTER: President: OneNet saves UCO money
To the Editor:
Discussion continues in The Edmond Sun publications regarding upgrading and consolidating information technology resources in state government. While I respect the viewpoint that has been expressed so far, certain facts should be taken into consideration that directly affect the University of Central Oklahoma and the 17,000 students we serve. -
Bond debt not an unpardonable sin
Is Oklahoma bond indebtedness for Oklahoma infrastructure an unpardonable sin? No! Rep. Jason Murphey wrote a good op ed dealing with what he bemoans as oppressive state bond debt. He calculates each Oklahoman owes $649 in state debt. He and the rest of the ultra-fiscal conservatives can’t bring themselves to support bonds to pay for the state Capitol repairs, building a medical examiner’s office or other legitimate capital expenditures. So using his logic I decided to apply that thinking to my personal and business life.
-
Senate bill potentially denies women’s rights
Once again, our state Legislature is moving toward passage of another bill that will not stand up to a court challenge because it is contrary to federal law. It also follows the pattern of many of these failed laws in that it attempts to limit the choices women have in our state.
- More Letters to the Editor Headlines
-
Oklahoma cannot stand alone
