Published: May 10, 2008 12:00 am            

Campaign coffers support new Norman library, public safety

Transcript Staff Writer

The "Yes" campaign for a new library, public safety sales tax, senior citizens center, municipal court and library millage increase kicked into overdrive just before Tuesday's municipal and countywide special election, fueled by strong contributions to three committees. Yard signs appeared in lawns throughout town and mailers stuffed area mail boxes in the past week.

Contributions and expenditures for the campaigns were due into City Clerk Brenda Hall's office at noon Friday.

Partnership for Norman's Progress led the way raising $36,545 for the campaigns. The largest donors to the campaign are the Mile of Cars Association LLC at $10,000; Ideal Homes of Norman, $3,000; John Traw, $2,000; and 15 $1,000 donors that ranged from attorneys to builders to banks.

Traw owns one of the buildings on a site mentioned frequently for a location for the new library at Main Street and Porter Avenue.

The Committee to Rescue Norman is promoting the seven-year, half-cent sales tax that would fund 41 additional police officers and 30 firefighters, raising an estimated $49.2 million in sales tax. It would provide the equipment and training necessary and build two new fire stations in the northwest and southeast parts of Norman.

CRN raised $10,500 with only two donors: John Traw giving $10,000 and the International Association of Fire Fighters or IAFF, $500.

And the Campaign Committee for a New Norman Library raised $1,770, all with contributions of $200 or less that don't have to be itemized.

No organized opposition was evident from the contributions and expenditures regarding the bond projects or public safety sales tax.

The $31 million new library is proposed as a 118,000-square-foot facility, with a 360-space parking garage that would cost $5.8 million. The balance of the $49.2 million bond package, if fully utilized, would fund a purchase of the site, contingencies and construction inflation.

The $11.2 million bond issue would fund renovation and reconstruction of the current library and Building A in the Municipal Complex. The current library would house the Norman Senior Citizens Center, doubling its size, and city offices. Renovation of Building A would provide about 15,000-square-feet for the municipal court, that currently has about 4,000-square-feet shared within Building B that houses the Norman Police Department.

The Pioneer Library System has asked for a millage increase of 2 mills to double the size of the collection and triple the computer stations, expand hours and establish book stations on the east and west sides of Norman. PLS operates, staffs and provides the collections for libraries in Cleveland, Pottawatomie and McClain counties.

In the Ward 2 runoff for the seat being vacated by vice mayor Richard Stawicki, Chebon Marshall has raised $13,587 to Tom Kovach's $8,929.

Kovach's donors since the campaign began are mostly from the Norman area, with the majority of Marshall's contributors coming from outside of Norman. But since the primary, most of Kovach's and Marshall's contributions have come from local sources.

Marshall's largest contributors since the primary are Norman environmental engineer Robert Craig at $500 and Claremore attorney Julie Carson at $500. Former gubernatorial candidate Vince Orza donated $100 to Marshall.

Marshall was chief of staff for former Congressman Brad Carson before returning to Oklahoma and becoming half of the Carrier and Marshall marketing firm that ran campaigns for many Democratic candidates in Oklahoma and other states.

Marshall garnered support from several former mayors and councilmembers.

Kovach's largest contributors include the owner of Norman-based Astronomics, Fred Bieler, at $500, and Anne and Randolph Marsh of Dallas, $500. Norman Professional Firefighters donated $300 to Kovach's campaign.

Ward 4 councilmember Carol Dillingham donated $100 to Kovach's campaign, with donations coming from the most recent former mayor Harold Haralson and several former councilmembers.

Kovach is employed as the customer service manager for Astronomics.

In-person absentee voting was steady in Friday's voting, with 231 voting in-person absentee.

"It's starting out pretty good," said in-person absentee precinct worker Colleen Allen.

There were 41 who voted in the Ward 2 runoff Friday.

        

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