Call to Action: Sign the Petition to put the $600 million TIF on a city-wide ballot

Petition Booth located at Roots Salon on the SW corner of Main and Porter everyday 12-7 pm until October 15th

I know I just asked you to email the Cleveland County Commissioners, but I also need you to sign this petition to overturn the recent Norman City Council vote that approved the University North Park Entertainment District using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) of $600 Million.

If we want to take back control of our government, it is in all of our best interests to get involved and make our voices heard. By signing this petition, you are forcing the City of Norman to listen to the people through a City-Wide vote. Within our freeway fighting, responsible transportation and accountable government community, do we know 6,200 registered voters to get this on the ballot? Take a friend (or five) with you and let’s get this done!

Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development

The Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development (ORED) group is petitioning for a citywide vote to overturn the Norman City Council’s 5-4 decision to approve the University North Park Entertainment District that commits $600 Million in Norman taxpayer money through a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) scheme over the next twenty-five years. They need 6,200 signatures by October 15 from registered voters living in the City of Norman.

ORED will be at the Roots Salon parking lot from 12-7 pm daily through October 15th. Roots Salon is on the Southwest Corner of Main and Porter in Norman.

For more locations and times where and when you can sign the petition and to find out all the reasons WHY the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a bad idea for the City of Norman, check out their new website https://www.responsibleok.com/ and join their Facebook page to learn more. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/FSneiimhwoLpCCzu/

Remember… this TIF is being inappropriately used

1. in an area that would develop on its own,

2. to keep this project away from a vote of the people,

3. for a project that the developers obviously don’t see enough potential revenues from since they are asking the public to subsidize more than HALF the cost.

If this project was going to make money for the developers, then why would the developers need the Citizens to act as their insurance policy for the business risk?

Remember that only FIVE people (Austin Ball, Ward 1; Matthew Peacock, Ward 2, Joshua Hinkle, Ward 6; Scott Dixon, Ward 8 and Mayor Heikkila) in the entire City of Norman voted to guarantee $600 Million TIF for an arena and parking garage; a huge debt obligation for almost three decades.

Shouldn’t all the registered voters in the City get to properly vet and vote on such a large dollar decision?

SpeakUp Norman put together a compilation of the best citizen comments from the September 3rd meeting that you might want to watch to get an idea why the citizens are so against the TIF.

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Stop with the “Norman Growth” Propaganda!

Many of you may have gotten one or more unsolicited texts from “elevate Norman” that have tried to convince you not to sign the petition. The texts look something like this:

I don’t know about you, but when a big developer or government agency or the Norman Economic Development Coalition (https://www.elevatenorman.com/) tells me not to do something, I automatically want to do the opposite.

It’s called the 180 degree rule. I’ve employed it many times in the past five years.

If this Rock Creek Entertainment District and OU sports arena were such a lucrative business plan, then why would the developers and the OU Foundation need $600 Million of taxpayer money to get it done? They are using the citizens as an insurance policy for their bad plan and that’s not ok.

Also ask yourself why they are texting all the citizens of Norman and asking them to *NOT* sign a petition that “may put this crucial project at risk of further delays?” Why are they incessently pushing their entertainment district and “new high paid job” propaganda over social media and through newspaper and television ads but failing to provide any real data to back-up their claims?

Oh right… they know this Entertainment District with majority financing by the Citizens of Norman through a TIF is a bad plan and they absolutely do NOT want it to go to a vote of the people because while they can obviously buy off a handful of Council Members, they can’t buy off an entire city.

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