Oklahoma City residents have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed 2026 budget as the city opens channels for public feedback until May 19. City Manager Craig Freeman outlined the proposed budget details to the Oklahoma City Council yesterday, with additional presentations scheduled through May. The final budget adoption is set for June 3, according to OKC's official news release.
Freeman's presentation included insights into the Public Transportation and Parking, Development Services, and Parks and Recreation departments' financial plans. While Public Works, Utilities, and the Fire Department's budgets will be discussed on May 13, the Planning, Police and Airports are expected to present their proposals on May 27. Despite facing a slowdown in revenue growth, leading to budget reductions, Freeman expressed optimism that city departments could "make adjustments to stay within available resources while continuing to focus on services for our residents," according to the city's announcement.
Individuals looking to submit comments on the budget have multiple options, including online at vision.okc.gov/budget-feedback, via email at [email protected], through text message to (405) 252-1053, or by standard mail to the City Clerk’s Office, annotated for budget comments. For transparency and accessibility, the City Council meetings where budgets are discussed can be watched live, or recorded on the City’s YouTube channel. This participation process reflects the city's effort to maintain strong financial management, one of Oklahoma City Council's prioritized areas according to feedback from its annual resident survey.
The proposed operating budget stands at $930 million, this will cover day-to-day operations down from 5,090 full-time positions in the previous year. Among significant adjustments, the Fire Department will lose 15 vacant uniform positions and eliminate the second engine from service at Station 1, while also investing in health response through new hires such as Recovery Support Specialists. In contrast, the Police Department is slated to freeze 20 vacant uniform positions, though it will receive a financial boost for capital construction from the Police Sales Tax Fund.
Revenue-related constraints have led to a 1.5% budget reduction for the Police and Fire Departments, with other City departments proposing a 4.5% reduction. These fiscal challenges are partly countered by the city's diverse revenue streams that include sales tax, property tax, the hotel tax for tourism and capital improvements, as well as franchise fees and various licenses and permits. Residents can delve into the specifics of Oklahoma City's income channels and its financial strategy at okc.gov/tax, as part of the city's commitment to transparency and informative community engagement.
