Official says vote on Ford Center renovation differs from others

Associated Press

One of Oklahoma City's economic officials says the upcoming vote on a temporary tax to pay for improvements to the Ford Center is different from other tax-related votes in recent years.

Roy Williams, the president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, said previous such votes -- such as for the Metropolitan Area Projects or its sequel, MAPS for Kids -- set the stage for the current vote.

He says this vote will be about taking advantage of an opportunity that has presented itself.

The NBA's Seattle SuperSonics have applied with the league to relocate to Oklahoma City. The city's election, likely to be on March 4th, will come about a month before NBA owners vote on the Sonics' application.

The city expects the extension of current one-penny sales tax for an additional 12 to 15 months will raise about $100 million for improvements to the Ford Center. The building hosted the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons while they were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

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