Del City voters narrowly approved a $3 million general obligation bond on Aug. 25 to replace aging fire trucks, police vehicles and an outdated tornado siren system.

The bond, which passed during a statewide runoff election, will fund four projects: a new fire engine (approximately $1.5 million), a combination brush and rescue truck ($300,000), an upgraded outdoor warning siren system ($300,000) and 10 new police SUVs ($740,000), according to Central Oklahoma Weeklies. The remaining $150,000 covers bond issuance costs.

Exact vote totals have not been released.

What it costs homeowners

Property tax millage will rise from the current 3.24 mills to as much as 6.04 mills in 2027, then decline each year until the bond is paid off in 2030. City Manager JD Hock said that works out to about $280 more per year for every $100,000 of home value. Using a $100,000 home as an example, the city's portion of the property tax bill would increase from about $32.40 to $60.40 per year.

The new bond replaces a 2011 general obligation bond set to expire in November after 15 years. Unlike its predecessor, the new bond is structured as a four-year obligation.

Why the city said it needed the money

Fire Chief Z. Williams said the department needs about $1.5 million for a new pumper truck to replace Engine 3, a 2013 model that has logged more than 9,000 engine hours. That's roughly the equivalent of running nonstop for a year. Hock said the current build time for a new fire engine is about 50 months, meaning the city won't take delivery until roughly 2030.

"This is going to protect our ISO rating, not including being able to keep our fire departments and our police departments responding to incidents as necessary within the time frame that they got set for those guys, and so those guys having the right equipment is everything," Mayor Greg Childers said at a public meeting before the vote.

The $300,000 brush and rescue truck would replace two aging 2014 vehicles with one combination unit modeled after a vehicle used by the city of Edmond.

Police Chief Steven Stogner said the $750,000 would replace 10 patrol vehicles, including four Ford Taurus sedans and six Ford Explorers, most dating to 2014. The replacements will be Ford Police Interceptor SUVs. The department's 15 newer patrol vehicles, purchased in 2023 and 2024, are not affected.

The siren upgrade would replace a system that requires an employee to manually activate warnings and runs on software the manufacturer no longer supports. The new CommanderOne system, already used by several other metro-area fire departments, would allow sirens to be activated remotely and automatically.

Broader context

A half-cent capital improvement sales tax approved in 2017 generates about $1.4 million annually, but that revenue is committed to repaying a $12.5 million loan the city took out in 2019 for projects including a new library and fire station. That loan won't be paid off until 2033.

Del City's result stood out on a mixed night for local ballot measures. Nearby Choctaw voters soundly rejected a three-quarter-cent sales tax that would have funded a new YMCA, police station and fire station upgrades, according to KOSU.

Bond details are available on the city's website.