X

City officials would like to see tax dollars spent here



  • By Harrison Grimwood Phoenix Staff Writer
  • Feb 21, 2016

City officials are studying the different ways sales tax can be kept and captured in the city.

The challenge is fulfilling the consumer needs and wants adequately in Muskogee to reduce sales tax leakage to surrounding communities while capturing sales tax dollars from those communities.

“Cities live and die on sales tax,” said Interim City Manager Roy Tucker.

Tucker said taxes represent a sizable chunk of the city’s revenue. Of the ways to increase revenue through taxes, capturing those dollars is preferable to raising the tax rate, he said.

Muskogee’s viability as a market for future development is seen through QuikTrip locating a store in town, said Rickey Hayes, founder of Retail Attractions, an economic development consulting firm.

Buzz about the new convenience store and truck stop at the southwest corner of the U.S. 69 and Shawnee Bypass intersection has been building for years. Hayes said right now, the intersection is one of the best for development in Oklahoma.

“QuikTrip is a market validator,” Hayes said. “When other businesses see that, it shows Muskogee is a good market.”

Throughout 2015, 20 new business building permits were filed with the city, which include developments like ALDI grocery store, DICK’S Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty, according to city records.

One of the major developments is the shopping center on North Sixth Street and West Shawnee Bypass. 

“DICK’S Sporting Goods is a game changer,” Hayes said. “There was no sporting goods store in Muskogee of their capacity until now.”

Hayes said it will be awhile before residents get a feel for the payoff on the city’s side.

“It will keep money coming in and Muskogee dollars from going out,” Hayes said.

The construction costs for those 20 new businesses is about $19.5 million. In addition to those permits, 47 business repair permits were filed with the city, representing a $7.2 million investment of local businesses back into themselves to try attracting and capturing more sales tax dollars.

Reach Harrison Grimwood at (918) 684-2926 or harrison.grimwood@muskogeephoenix.com.