River Tax Form With Ken Yazel

On Monday evening I attended a River Tax Forum hosted by Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel. Yazel, along with State Senator Randy Brogdon, Tulsa City Councilor Roscoe Turner, Tulsa City Councilor John Eagleton, and Broken Arrow Mayor Wade McCaleb all spoke out against the proposed sales tax for river development.

Ken Yazel’s main point is that Tulsa County’s tax burden is already too large. In fact Tulsa County has the highest tax burden in Oklahoma. Yazel pointed out that the tax in Tulsa County, measured either per person or per building, has been consistently doubling over the years and if the trend continues it will double again in 5 years. While tax rates have gone up, our median income has gone down by about two-thousand dollars. Yazel explains that “We are driving people out of our county,” and it is this exodus that is responsible for the lower income.

After Yazel spoke it was Senator Brogdon’s turn, and he came on strong. He said, “The tidal wave of taxes that the politicians continue to push on us is just about to sink the family budget.” In reference to the proposed river tax, Brogdon said, “This is one of the lousiest misdirected taxes I’ve seen in my life.” He pointed out that there was not one thing in this proposal that benefited Owasso and that it was fool hardy to levy a county tax for municipal projects. Tulsa County municipalities are already overburdened, and if this tax passes, it will severely limit the ability of those cities to levy additional tax for their own priorities. Brogdon said that he could not be convinced that the river in Tulsa is more important than the priorities in Owasso, namely funding streets, police, and fire. This is a point that was later reverberated by Broken Arrow Mayor McCaleb. He said that Broken Arrows priorities are roads, schools, public safety and this tax will preclude Broken Arrow from meeting those needs.


Councilor Turner spoke out about the undue influence Tulsa County has over Tulsa. As the unincorporated area in the County shrinks, so should the county’s influence and responsibility. However, the passage of this tax would give the county more power and more responsibility.

Councilor Eagleton quoted several wise leaders:

“There is no such thing as a good tax.”—Winston Churchill

“The power to tax involves the power to destroy.”—Justice John Marshall

"The commissioners believe in solid conservative economic principles that when you raise taxes, you hamper commerce and industry.” –Tulsa County Commissioner John Smaligo

"I, Fred Perry, pledge to the taxpayers of the 69th district of the state of Oklahoma and to all the people of this state that I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes."—Tulsa County Commissioner Fred Perry

“Under no circumstances should sales tax exceed current levels.”—Tulsa County Commissioner Randi Miller (quoted in 2000)

The quotes from the County Commissioners were particularly interesting as these three are now seemingly ignoring their prior principles by asking for more tax money.

Eagleton also pointed out that the proposed river project could be completed without the need for a tax increase. He estimates that the 2025 tax will rake in $199-$200 million extra. This money could be used to fund the river, but even if his estimates are wrong and the 2025 overages couldn’t pay for it, Eagleton suggested that the 2025 tax could be extended. This approach would make us wait longer for river development, but it would seem to be the more sensible approach.

These points are hard to ignore. Tulsa County is over-taxed, but that is not even the greatest sin. Our government, with its disproportionate tax stream, is failing to fulfill its most basic responsibility, public safety and infrastructure. We have some of the worst streets in the country and crime seems to be out of control. How can we consider taxing ourselves further over a project that fails to meet those needs. Until our leaders present a plan to fulfill the most basic role of government, and until they can present a plan to fund river development without raising taxes, I’ll be voting no on October 9th

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River Tax
Ken Yazel
Randy Brogdon
Roscoe Turner
John Eagleton
Wade McCaleb
Fred Perry
John Smaligo
Randi Miller