OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma City’s city manager is warning department heads that the community could see midyear budget cuts of 1.25 percent because of slow sales tax collections.
Jim Couch said in a memo this month that the reductions will total $4.5 million. Sales tax collections reported in September showed a 5.8 percent drop from the same time last year.
According to The Oklahoman, Couch told department heads that this is a “difficult time for all of us.”
The city has had a hiring freeze, and many departments saw a 5.5 percent budget cut between last year and this year.
The September sales tax check from the Oklahoma Tax Commission totaled just under $33.9 million, down from nearly $36 million in 2015. The check reflects retail activity from late July and early August.
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