Updated 2/4/2010: General fund vs. inflation chart changed to use first year of the period rather than the last as baseline year, making the chart easier to understand. Information Technology department added to percentage growth 2002-2010 chart.

City of Tulsa general fund spending outpaced the inflation rate over the seven fiscal years between FY 2004 and FY 2010, according to budget data collected by City Council Policy Administrator Jack Blair at the request of Councilor John Eagleton. (See first graph below.) The climb was especially steep between FY 2004 and FY 2008. (Retail sales tax declines in FY 2009 and FY 2010, the result of the national recession, made it necessary for general fund spending to be cut to match, since general fund spending is wholly dependent on sales tax.)

This growth in spending appears to have been fueled by personnel costs. During the period between FY 2002 and FY 2010, the personal services budget per employee grew by 29.2%, compared to an increase in the cost of living over the same period of only 19.0%. During this period, the police personal services budget per employee grew by 35.1%, approaching twice the rate of inflation. (See second graph below.)

Councilor John Eagleton has frequently and consistently opposed allowing the budget to grow well beyond the rate of inflation. While City Councilors have taken no raise since 2002, most city employees were granted raises that were not sustainable for the city's budget. Those raises are now "baked into the cake," and now that times are not as good, city officials are left with only two options -- pay cuts or layoffs.

Click either image to view a PDF with higher resolution versions of both charts.