Information on the Sept. 12, 2023 special election

PROPOSITION 1
What is Prop 1?
Proposition one asks voters to change the wording of the City of McAlester City Charter regarding how the emergency fund is calculated. 

Why does the Charter need to change?
When the Charter was written the method by which municipal projects were funded was vastly different than that of today. The charter founders could not have envisioned receiving grants and bonds in the amounts of up to $40 million from State and Federal Agencies.  The intent of an emergency fund is to set aside 10% of the operating budget (expenditures) for use during a declared emergency and only as a last resort.  The current operating budget for the City is $30,246,710, however, the way the current Charter is written, the City must add all grants, loans and bonds to the calculation for the emergency fund.  For the current Fiscal Year, the total operating budget (including Grants, Bonds, and Federal Loans) is $89,549,123.  

What does Prop 1 change? 
In the past, the City has funded the emergency fund at 10% of the day-to-day operating budget. A positive vote will allow the City to continue using that formula to calculate the emergency fund, based on recurring expenditures, which are funded through taxes, fees and charges for services. The change to the charter would clarify the current legal interpretation, which requires grants, bonds and loans for specific projects to be included in the formula.

What happens if Prop 1 fails?
The City will have to make every effort to fulfill the requirement of 10% of the total annual budget, for Fiscal Year 23/24, that would mean increasing the emergency fund from $3.9 million to $8.9 million. The total operating budget for the city is $30 million; to meet the requirements of the Charter, the City would need to cut spending by 20% across all departments, which may impact city services.

PROPOSITION 2
What is Proposition 2?
Proposition 2 asks voters if they want to change the dates for city council elections from March in even numbered years to February in even numbered years, and to adjust candidate filing dates to match requirements of state law.

What does Proposition 2 mean?
This proposition addresses two things. 1) it ensures that our election dates match requirements of state law. 2) it aligns the city’s candidate filing dates with state law.

PROPOSITION 3 
What is Proposition 3?
Proposition 3 asks if voters want to change the dates which elected officials assume office. 

How did Proposition 3 come up?
The city charter states elected officials assume office from the first regular city council meeting following their election. If this proposition passes, an amendment to the city charter would change the date an elected official assumes office to “the first regular meeting of the City Council following their general election whether the same be held or not.”

Why change the charter’s language on elections?
It could present challenges as it stands. An election cycle includes a primary, a runoff election, and the general election. City elections are nonpartisan, but hold a primary because a candidate must get a majority of votes to win the election. So for example: 
A Ward 1 councilor might not face a challenger to win a primary and almost immediately take office in December. A Ward 3 councilor could win a runoff election against an opponent and almost immediately take office in March. AWard 5 councilor could win a runoff without getting a majority before winning the general election in June. That leaves six months between those councilors taking office.

So what happens if Proposition 3 fails? 
Nothing changes, and that could leave six months between councilors taking office.

So what if Proposition 3 passes? 
In the same example, those three councilors would take office the same day regardless of which date they won election.