Precincts Report Numbers on MAPS 3 Voting

The polls have now closed in Oklahoma City and the final voter are being tallied to decide whether MAPS 3 will pass or fail.&nbsp; <br /><br />37,482 (54.7%) Yes ;&nbsp;31,039 (45.3%) No with&nbsp;239 of 271 precincts reporting. <br /><br /><strong>NEWS 9 and <a href="http://news9.com/">News9.com</a> will have the latest results as each precinct&#39;s numbers become available.</strong>

Monday, December 7th 2009, 4:54 pm

By: News 9


By Colleen Chen, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The polls have now closed in Oklahoma City and the final voter are being tallied to decide whether MAPS 3 will pass or fail.

So far 37,482 (54.7%) Yes ; 31,039 (45.3%) No with 239 of 271 precincts reporting.

Coverage of the proposal began in September, when city leaders pulled back the curtain on the $777 million plan. But in this tough economy people want to make sure of what their money is going to.

Thousands of Oklahomans gathered for an outdoor concert in a central park that stretches down to the Oklahoma River. It's the biggest part of the biggest vision yet for Oklahoma City.

The vision is a place not just for events, but for health with trails that would connect the downtown river path to the other side of the city in Lakes Hefner, Overholser and beyond. The city's master trail system was to take several decades.

"We'll be able to wrap that up much quicker with MAPS," Oklahoma City Planning Director Russell Claus said.

Connect is a big word for MAPS3 leaders. Not only would a central park and the city's trail system be connected but also a convention center that will at least double the space of the Cox Center is in the planning.

"To grow your economy it takes dollars from outside your economy deposited in your community, that's what a convention center does," Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said.

A place where visitors attending seminars would join, business workers and Thunder enthusiasts, by way of a transit system, on five to six miles of downtown streetcar lines. On the river would be a different kind of travel where the motions of small waves are already being created by Olympic hopefuls.

River supporters want to capitalize on that with stages, kayaking courses, and a bigger rush of water would propel Oklahoma City into a league of our own.

"We could have one of the best flat water venues and white water venues side by side," said Mike Knopp with the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation. "It would be the only place in the world that would have that."

Campaigns against MAPS3, spearheaded by firefighters and police unions who say they don't have the manpower to support the growth such large projects would bring and the city needs a plan, wonder if competing with the world is necessary, or if it is coming at the right time.

"The true resolution here is to dedicate additional monies to public safety either through a dedicated tax or the general fund," Gil Hensley, Fraternal Order of Police President, said.

While MAPS3 would not increase taxes and be just an extension of an already existing penny sales tax, another group of critics say now's not the right time and they would rather see a tax decrease instead of more projects they call unnecessary. Other critics have said too many of the projects focus on downtown.

The State Fair Park would get $60 million for upgrades across the fairgrounds and $50 million to Health and Wellness Aquatics Centers. City leaders say the facilities would spring up across the city. A city the mayor says needs to keep the momentum going.

"We've created a city that's worth visiting, but we are going to have to have the facilities if we want to stay competitive," Mayor Cornett said.

The MAPS 3 ballot didn't list out each project like previous MAPS proposals leading some to believe it could lead to a blank check. The city says it can't list each project because of a 2009 court ruling but did pass a resolution in September that says any money passed from MAPS 3 must be devoted to the set of projects proposed.

NEWS 9 and News9.com will have the latest results as each precinct's numbers become available.

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