 The mission of the Owasso Taxpayer Alliance is to keep the citizens of the Owasso area informed on issues taking place within the City of Owasso - and beyond - in all areas of government that will affect their taxes and quality of life without party-partisan bias. The Owasso Taxpayer Alliance is a political watchdog group for all of the people within the Owasso area.
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"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."
Mark Twain 1904
2010 Local Elections
OWASSO SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION School District Ward No. 5 Currently held by Frosty Turpen (D) Filing Dates: December 7th thru 9th Election Date: February 9, 2010 Term: 5 years OWASSO CITY COUNCIL ELECTION City Ward No. 5 Ward map: http://www.cityofowasso.com/city_map/WardMap.pdfCurrently held by Doug Bonebrake (R) Filing Deadline: February 1st thru 3rd Election Dates: Primary (if needed) March 2, 2010 and the General is April 6, 2010. Term: 3 years Women mostly missing from city’s boards, commissions By Lindsey Morgan, Staff Writer lindseym@owassoreporter.com
Published: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 8:12 AM CDT http://www.owassoreporter.com/articles/2009/09/01/news/doc4a9d1aa434e67986710934.txt
At the June 16 regular City Council meeting, the council voted to confirm Mayor Stephen Cataudella’s nominees for the city’s boards and commissions. As the new members took their seats on July 1, it was clear something was missing: women.
SAINT JOHN WATER DISPUTE MAY SEE TRAIL SOON
By Matt Roberts, Managing Editor mattr@owassoreporter.com Published: Tuesday, August 4, 2009 8:31 AM CDT http://www.owassoreporter.com/articles/2009/08/04/news/doc4a77515ec304c034451091.txt
OUR OPINION
The city has spent $315,000 on legal fees so far and Washington County Rural Water District No. 3 has spent $170,000. Due to the arrogance of our city leadership we the taxpayer will have to pay this bill. This means the customers of the Washington County Rural Water District and the customers who are serviced by the City of Owasso will pay these bills in higher utility fees.
Washington County Rural Water District has a legally controlled area of service. The city knew they would get sued once they started serving water to the hospital.
On May 28, 2009 the city posted on it's blog: "As an expanding, prosperous, and independent entity it is sometimes easy to become content with our success and forget the manner in which we became a city that is associated throughout this state with creativity and continual improvement; and that is by taking calculated risks, being progressive, and making the most of every opportunity presented."
(http://cityofowasso.com/hp_wordpress/)
Prosperous?? Success?? I guess it all depends on what your defination of prosperous and success is. Is a 61% increase in our debt in less than one year "prosperous" and "success"?
Also is this lawsuit what you call "calculated risk"?
A copy of the transcript from the May 26, 2009 public meeting concerning the Stone Canyon Sanitary Sewer has been posted under the "File Cabinet" link on the upper left of this page. Once in the "File Cabinet" scroll down to the bottom and under the heading "OWRB Loan Information" you will find the transcript.
The answers to questions submitted at this meeting have not been received. The city states the answers will be available by June 17th. The OWRB has not responded with any answers to the questions presented back in April.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2009
Approximately 300 Owasso residents have filed an official protest with the Oklahoma Water Resource Board (OWRB) over the planned $6.3 million sanitary sewer interceptor line to support the Stone Canyon subdivision located 2 miles east of Owasso. A letter of protest was sent to the Financial Assistance Division of the OWRB this week citing several areas of conflict with the OWRB rules qualifing the city of Owasso for a construction loan. These citizens are requesting a public hearing with the OWRB to hear their concerns.
Keep checking back for further information.
Below is a list of all current debt as submitted to the Oklahoma Water Resourses Board (OWRB) for the loan to construct the Stone Canyon Sanitary sewer and the Waste Water Treatment Plant improvements. The city will also be submitting an application to borrow money for the construction of the regional detention pond on North Garnett. According to information submitted by the city these loans will be secured by a lien on the revenues from our water, sewer, garbage and the Bailey Ranch Golf course plus 2% of our sales tax. Yes, we do have to secure this loan just like any person would have to do when getting a loan from a bank. Below are the loan names, each balance at the time the information was submitted to the OWRB and their projected payoff dates. Revenue Bond Issue $4,300,000.00 7/1/2017 1993 B OWRB FAP $747,550.00 9/15/2022
1999 A OWRB SFF $501,636.00 8/15/2018 1999 B OWRB FAP $418,900.00 2/28/2019 2001 A OWRB SRF $669,197.00 2/15/2021 2001 B OWRB FAP $1,335,200.00 2/15/2022 2001 C OWRB FAP $734,800.00 8/15/2021
2002 A OWRB SRF $642,653.00 8/15/2022 2002 B OWRB FAP $1,275,000.00 9/15/2022 2004 OWRB FAP $1,715,000.00 9/1/2015 2006 OWRB SRF $3,542,948.00 9/15/2026 2006 OWRB FAP $1,740,000.00 9/1/2018
Sales Tax Revenue Notes 2004 $6,735,000.00 11/15/2011 Sales Tax Revenue Notes 2005 $8,095,000.00 12/1/2012 Sales Tax Revenue Notes 2006 $3,555,000.00 7/1/2017 Sales Tax Revenue Notes 2007 $9,375,000.00 9/1/2014 TOTAL CURRENT DEBT $45,382,884.00
Stone Canyon Sanitary Sewer $ 6,085,000.00 (approved by council)
Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements $10,580,000.00 (approved by council)
Garnett Road Detention Pond $ 3,750,000.00 (approved by council)
TTC/TCCGift
106th and Garnett Intersection $7,600,000.00 (approved by council)
PROPOSED NEW DEBT $28,015,000.00 Approxmate Debt August 2009 $73,397,884.00
Owasso City Council contact information
Mayor Stephen Cataudella 274-6823
Vice Mayor Jon Sinex Unlisted Home Phone
Bryan Stovall 272-0467
Doug Bonebrake 274-7188
Wayne Guevara 376-9496 |