The Woodward News

Local News

December 8, 2009

County approves agreement

Woodward County commissioners have approved an agreement with the Oklahoma Tax Commission for administration of the new sales tax that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2010, to pay for the new county jail.

The new jail is expected to cost approximately $10 million, which will be paid off over a 10-year-period with the sales tax increase.

The county currently has a sales tax in effect in the amount of two-tenths of a cent. The tax increase will raise that amount by five-eighths of a cent to .825 of a cent.

After the jail is paid for, the sales tax will revert to four-tenths of a cent, with two-tenths being used to pay for maintenance, operation and staffing of the facility.

The remaining two tenths of a cent will continue to pay for other county programs.

In other business during their meeting Monday, the commissioners approved a resolution establishing a monthly .50-cent fee for 9-1-1 voice-over-internet protocol emergency service.

According to Shaun Barnett, E-911 coordinator for the county, no fees are assessed for the service at this time.

“It doesn’t affect land line or wireless customers,” Barnett said.

The resolution will be displayed publicly for 60 days, and if no one protests it, it will go into effect after two months have passed.

The commissioners also approved a resolution determining monthly highway expenditures for December in the amount of $853,056 and a resolution approving a REAP Grant in the amount of $46,791 for the Quinlan Community Rural Water District No. 1.

The money to the water district will pay for replacing a two-inch water line with a four-inch line for two miles to provide better service to the homes connected to it, according to the resolution.

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