OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Current and former local officials are warning that State Question 832 could create new budget pressure for Oklahoma municipalities, according to a report from the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.
The article, written by Ray Carter, argues that SQ 832 would affect not only private employers, but also cities and towns that rely on taxpayer funding to pay employees and provide services.
State Sen. Brian Guthrie, R-Bixby, who previously served on the Bixby City Council and as Bixby mayor, told OCPA that wage increases for municipal employees would have to be covered through public funds.
“This is not a private entity when it’s a municipality,” Guthrie said. “So anytime you do that, you’ve got to make that ground up somewhere.”
The report also cited Brian Barton, an Oilton City Council member, who wrote in The Keystone Gusher that SQ 832 could become difficult for small towns to absorb. Barton said many city positions already pay above $15 an hour, but raising the wage floor could push up the full pay ladder for operators, clerks, supervisors and specialized workers.
OCPA reported that municipal officials are concerned those higher costs could lead to higher utility bills, higher taxes, reduced services or other revenue pressures.
State Sen. Christi Gillespie, R-Broken Arrow, who previously served on the Broken Arrow City Council and as vice mayor, told OCPA that cities could also face indirect effects if small businesses close or lose revenue. She said municipalities depend heavily on sales tax revenue, meaning reduced business activity could also affect local budgets.
SQ 832 will appear on the June ballot. The measure would raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029 and then automatically increase it each year beginning in 2030 based on CPI-W, a federal inflation index.
