The Dewey City Council opened the floor to the public to start their meeting on Tuesday night. Discussion at the Dewey City Council meeting revolved around a possible increase to Dewey's sales tax rate. City Manager Kevin Trease says the sales tax rate generates an average of $60,000 a month for the city.

However, Trease says a third of that average does not go to the general fund. He says the Dewey Police Department suffers from this the most, especially now that they are down two officers and will lose another officer at the end of the month. That will leave 9 members of a normally 12 member staff.

The general fund also has to account for the fire department which has needs that the City of Dewey can't quite afford to help with. Aside from that, the City of Dewey has to put a part of those funds towards the public library. Thankfully the City of Dewey could breathe a sigh of relief as they would approve to amend the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Budget to include state funding in the amount of $15,313 to the public library on Tuesday night.

A third of the revenue from the 3-percent sales tax rate in Dewey goes towards a capital improvement fund. Trease mentioned that the 3-percent sales tax rate matches the sales tax rates in Nowata and Copan. Voters in 2015 approved the 1-percent capital improvement in 2015 and it will resurface again in 2025. That was initially voted on in May of 1983.

Trease says the last time residents voted to increase the sales tax rate in Dewey was in 1976. If the sales tax rate were to increase, the citizens of Dewey would have to vote for the increase to happen. During the public comment in Tuesday's meeting, the public mentioned how the increase to the sales tax rate didn't make sense for now. The Dewey City Council had no scheduled date or time for when a vote may take place. It was mere discussion as they gauge what the public wants moving forward.

Later in the meeting, the council approved bids for the sale of two lots at 501 N. Downing Avenue. The council also moved to increase revenues and expenditures in the amount of $100,000 in their Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Budget for capital improvement.