Oklahoma County residents would pay an extra 4 cents on every $10 purchase under a proposed sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot. Moore voters face two separate propositions tied to street repairs and public safety.

The Oklahoma County measure would create a 0.4% countywide sales tax for 25 years, beginning April 1, 2027, and ending March 31, 2052, according to county commission records. Revenue would fund construction, staffing and operation of a new jail, diversion programs and mental health facilities.

The tax is projected to generate about $70 million a year, KOSU reported. Of that, $44 million annually would cover debt service and $26 million would go toward jail operations, according to Steve Mason, chairman of the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee.

Oklahoma County is the only one of Oklahoma's 77 counties without a sales tax.

How the vote reached the ballot

The Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 on Aug. 12 to place the measure before voters. District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan, who chairs the board, proposed the tax. Interim District 3 Commissioner Paul Foster seconded. District 1 Commissioner Jason Lowe voted no.

The vote followed years of escalating costs. In 2022, more than 59% of county voters approved $260 million in bonds for a new jail, as NonDoc reported. That figure has since ballooned to an estimated $860 million.

Construction has already begun. Intake and diversion facilities are going up at 1901 E. Grand Blvd. in southeast Oklahoma City. The planned facility would span 800,000 square feet with about 1,800 beds, including 368 designated for detainees with mental health challenges.

Lowe, who opposed placing the tax on the ballot, warned commissioners at the Aug. 12 meeting about the stakes. "The phased approach taken by Commissioners Maughan and Davidson resulted in a third of a jail getting built and was reckless", he said.

Since the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority took over jail operations in July 2020, 60 people have died at the facility, according to NonDoc's August 2026 reporting.

Del City and Midwest City officials said earlier in 2026 they opposed a county sales tax, citing concerns about late-night releases of arrestees and transportation between the new jail site and downtown services.

Moore's two propositions

Moore voters will see two measures on the same ballot.

Proposition 1 would renew a 0.5% sales tax first approved by voters in 2018. That levy expires in March 2027. If renewed, it would remain in effect through 2031, funding residential street improvements, public safety and city operations, according to The Oklahoman.

Proposition 2 would authorize $18 million in bonds for constructing, improving or repairing streets, bridges and drainage.

The measures come after a permanent one-cent sales tax initiative in Moore failed by just 532 votes on April 7, according to Moore City Council work study minutes from Sept. 8. Those minutes show that November's GO bond and sales tax renewal votes are pending.

Key dates for voters

The voter registration deadline is Oct. 9. Absentee ballot requests are due by Oct. 19, according to News9.

Early voting runs Oct. 28 through Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Polls on Election Day, Nov. 3, are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.