Ottawa County voters approve 1-cent sales tax to avoid big property tax hit

MIAMI, Okla. — Ottawa County voters overwhelmingly approved a 1-cent sales tax Tuesday to help pay a multimillion-dollar federal judgment stemming from a death at the county jail.

Unofficial results show the proposition passed with 4,830 votes, or 90.33%, while 517 voters, or 9.67%, opposed it.

The tax will help pay a judgment stemming from the 2015 death of 26-year-old Terral Ellis II, who became seriously ill while being held at the Ottawa County Jail.

A federal jury awarded Ellis' estate $33 million after finding the county violated his constitutional right to adequate medical care.

Interest, attorney fees and other costs have increased the county's overall financial obligation.

County officials had warned voters that rejecting the sales tax would not make the judgment go away.

One likely alternative would have been a much steeper property-tax burden.

District Attorney Doug Pewitt previously said the county could have been forced to raise more than $14 million a year for three years through property taxes to cover the judgment.

Officials also discussed seeking a longer repayment plan through the federal court, but that option would have allowed additional interest to continue accumulating.

The 1-cent sales tax is scheduled to remain in place through Dec. 31, 2042, or until debt connected to the judgment is paid off.