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On Tuesday, Dec. 12 Oklahoma City held a special election, voting in favor of a new arena proposal.
According to Mayor David Holt, constructing a new arena will solidify the city’s status as a “Big League City.”
With the proposition passing by nearly 71 percent, Oklahoma City will be home to the Thunder until 2050. The topic has been met with both heavy criticism and support.
In Favor of New Arena
Those who urged residents to vote “Yes” say that having a major league team will benefit the city economically. The new arena will host Thunder home games and serve as an event hall. It will replace the use of the Paycom Center as the current home of the Thunder.
Utilizing a temporary sales tax, the payout will begin when the MAPS 4 sales tax concludes in 2028.
MAPS 4 is the fourth iteration of the Metropolitan Area Projects. The project uses money collected through a one-cent sales tax to fund community programs in the OKC metro. While the payment for the arena won’t technically raise taxes, if a new MAPS project were to be approved that would add to the local sales tax.
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Groups Against New Arena
The Buy Your Own Arena group argues that it is unfair that residents are required to pay for 95% of the total costs. They state that over the time it takes to complete the payout for the arena residents will have paid roughly $1200 each in sales tax.
The group believes that city funding should prioritize expanding existing programs such as public transit, affordable housing, and alternatives to incarceration.
Over 20 economics and finance professors at Oklahoma universities have come out in opposition to the proposal.
“The minimum expenditure of $900 million with taxpayers also bearing the burden of any cost overages is imprudent use of public money,” the collective open letter stated. “The consensus of academic research is that the proposed arena will not affect economic growth and may even detract from some sectors.”
The letter goes on to say that since 2010, 12 new arenas and 12 new stadiums have been constructed across the nation with the average expenditure weighing in around 42%. This is in stark contrast to the 95% OKC asked residents to commit to.
Progressive leaders opposed to new arena
Oklahoma House District 88 Representative Mauree Turner took to social media to share their thoughts on the new arena proposition.
“We know that winters are getting bad and doing a vote in December to create a larger playground for millionaires and billionaires…does not sit right with my spirit.”
Rep. Turner goes on to say, “These are two totally different realities, people want more boxes so they can enjoy the game comfortably while there are people who literally live on the streets outside of the Paycom center, and we could be using tax dollars to help those people.”
OKC Councilwomen Nikki Nice and JoBeth Hamon have also shown concern over taxpayers footing the bill for a new arena.
In an opinion editorial with The Oklahoman Nice and Hamon wrote, “We, and all Oklahoma City residents, deserve a better deal.”
They are curious as to why fundamental details of the proposal have been discussed in private and not publicly, the way that MAPS 4 had been.
While the topic of economic benefits the Thunder brings to the city is wildly debated, voting residents ultimately sided in favor of funding the arena.