What Oklahoma County voters should know about the Nov. 3 sales tax proposal

Oklahoma County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a new 0.40% sales tax to fund the county’s detention system, diversion efforts and mental health facilities and programs. 

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber supports the proposal and stands alongside the Yes for a Safer Community campaign. The Chamber has helped convene community leaders and organizations supporting the effort around a shared goal of moving a long-needed solution forward for Oklahoma County. 

“We need a facility that is safe and humane for the people housed there and the people who work there, with strong oversight and accountability for the public investment required to make that happen,” said Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. 

What the tax would fund 

If approved, the tax would add 4 cents to every $10 in taxable purchases in Oklahoma County. Collections would begin April 1, 2027, and continue for 25 years through March 31, 2052. County officials have identified a property tax as the other available funding mechanism for the project. Unlike a property tax, the proposed sales tax would also collect revenue from taxable purchases made in Oklahoma County by visitors and commuters who live outside the county.  

While much of the discussion surrounding the proposition has focused on the new Oklahoma County detention center, the tax is not limited to construction. Ballot language allows revenue to be used to operate, maintain, construct, renovate, finance, equip and pay staff of county detention, diversion and mental health facilities and programs. 

The 25-year term also does not represent the construction timeline for the new detention center, which is currently expected to be completed in fall 2028. 

Instead, the Citizens Bond Oversight Advisory Board recommended a 25- to 30-year tax as part of the financing structure for the project. Current estimates project the 0.40% tax would generate approximately $70 million annually, with about $44 million going toward debt service and the remainder available for operations and other eligible uses. 

Oklahoma County voters previously approved $260 million in bonds in 2022 toward construction of a new detention center. 

A broader criminal justice system 

The proposal comes as Oklahoma County continues efforts to reduce unnecessary incarceration while addressing the needs of those who remain in detention. 

The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council, or CJAC, works with community partners to improve the county’s criminal justice system through efforts including diversion and pretrial services. Data presented to the Citizens Bond Oversight Advisory Board show the detention center’s average daily population declined from 1,703 in 2021 to 1,521 in 2026. 

At the same time, CJAC’s Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report highlights continued challenges involving detention center funding, staffing and mental health care. Detainees make more than 3,100 mental-health-related contacts each month, underscoring the role behavioral health services play within the broader system. 

Accountability for the investment 

The proposal also includes measures designed to provide oversight of the public investment. The project would be capped at $605 million, while excess revenue would be secured in a lockbox for future maintenance needs.  

A MAPS-like oversight committee would provide additional accountability, reviewing expenditures to ensure public funds are used in accordance with the approved plan. The ballot language further requires revenue from the tax to be used only for the detention, diversion and mental health purposes outlined in the proposition. 

Oklahoma County voters will make the final decision Nov. 3. Voters can review their registration, find their polling place and view a sample ballot through the Oklahoma State Election Board’s OK Voter Portal.