2013 Bond Projects

In January 2013, the residents of Tahlequah voted to approve Ordinance No. 1198-2012, which established a three-fourths of one percent (0.75%) city sales and use tax to help pay for specific construction and improvement projects. That sales tax was also pledged to repay bonds issued to fund those projects.

The Tahlequah Public Facilities Authority (TPFA) was created in February 2013 to support these efforts on behalf of the City of Tahlequah. TPFA is governed by the Mayor and the four members of the City Council.

The ordinance authorized the collection of this tax on all taxable sales within the city, in addition to existing city sales taxes. The tax went into effect on April 1, 2013.

The bonds issued in 2013 became eligible for early payoff after 10 years. Once the required annual bond payments are made, any additional sales tax revenue may be used to pay the bonds down faster. TPFA has determined that refinancing the remaining 2013 bonds through a bank loan would reduce interest costs. This would allow the City to complete the remaining projects originally approved by voters while using tax dollars more efficiently.

The tax was designated to fund the following projects, with an estimated total cost of $21,112,339 in 2013. The costs listed below reflect total expenditures to date (as of January 2026).

Phoenix Renovation - $3,086

Greenbelt Development - $735,526

Swimming Pool (Tahlequatics) - $2,403,855

Library Improvements - $399,885

West Side Armory and City Renovations - $1,339,436

NSU Event Center - $1,500,000

Trash Fleet/CNG - $750,902

South Muskogee (Fourth to Bypass) - $6,385,836

**North Grand (North Street to Allen Road) - $231,807

**East Allen Road (Grand to Bypass) - $582,401

Bluff Project - $1,211,088

Crafton Street (Cedar to Grand) - $91,666

North Cedar (Crafton to Allen) - $1,697,756

East Fourth Street (Muskogee to Bridge) - $399,275

West Fourth (Campbell to Stick Ross) - $3,347,442

**Indicates project is in progress

Total Spent to Date as of January 2026 - $25,633,555 

The City of Tahlequah is preparing to ask residents to approve or deny an extension of the existing 0.75% sales tax to support a new round of community projects. Voting is anticipated to take place in the fall of 2026.  

To ensure residents have a voice in the process, the City is conducting surveys to gather public input on proposed projects. We encourage Tahlequah residents to sign up with Polco to stay informed when surveys are released and to learn more about the projects under consideration.

Register today: