Mayor Ron Norick was a driving force behind the original capital improvements vision to pay for items before they were built. Projects focused on the city's aging infrastructure; a new downtown library, arena, Oklahoma River improvements (3 dams), renovated civic center music hall and a new ballpark were all part of those original plan.
A dedicated one-cent sales tax would have to be approved by voters; projected to generate $350 million for MAPS allowing projects to be paid for in cash, without incurring debt helped influence voters to approve the measure.
Recognizing the needs of a city struggling to revitalize its core, city voters approved MAPS in December 1993. A surreal moment for Oklahoma City that led to a 6 month extension to complete the original MAPS with subsequent passage of MAPS for Kids, a 60% approval, $700 million initiative & MAPS III, a $777 million program, approved by voters in 2009 with 54% of the vote (the same percentage as the Original MAPS.) .
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