Norman residents will head to the polls on April 7 to vote on five city propositions and a runoff election for the Ward 5 city council seat.
A proposition has to earn over 50% of the total votes to pass. Residents must register to vote no later than March 13, and can visit OK Voter Portal to find sample ballots and their designated polling location. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is March 23 and early voting will be available April 2 and 3.
Ward 5 council election
Dianna Hutzel and Trey Kirby will face off in a runoff election after neither candidate received a 50% majority vote in the February municipal elections.
The winner of the runoff election will replace current Ward 5 Councilmember Brandon Nofire, who was appointed to the seat after Michael Nash resigned in August, and serve a one-year term. Only Ward 5 residents can vote on this issue.
Ward 5 consists of mostly rural areas and covers the largest land mass of all Norman wards, including the Lake Thunderbird area.
Hutzel was a finalist for the interim Ward 5 seat last year. She worked at Tinker Air Force Base for 37 years and is currently retired.
Hutzel’s campaign focuses on safeguarding natural resources, preserving open spaces, standing against the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority ACCESS project and aligning city decisions with its financial realities. The website also states she seeks to preserve the ward’s rural appeal and represent residents’ values.
Kirby owns Kirby Land and Cattle and works as a facilities manager for a cannabis facility in Oklahoma City. He unsuccessfully ran against former Ward 5 Councilmember Michael Nash in February 2025.
Kirby told OU Daily in February that if elected, he would stand against the turnpike, preserve Lake Thunderbird, support a permanent homeless shelter and communicate with Ward 5 constituents, even if they voted against him.
Read more about polling locations:
Norman streets bond renewal
Proposition 1 would create a $35 million bond program to fund the resurfacing, rehabilitation and reconstruction of streets in Norman over the next five years.
The 2026-31 street maintenance bond program designates a list of streets across Norman that would be improved using the bond funds, according to the city website. Of the proposed $35 million in bond funds:
• $9.5 million would be used for urban asphalt pavement rehabilitation.
• $8 million in urban concrete pavement rehabilitation.
• $7 million for roadway reconstruction.
• $5.25 million for rural road improvements.
• $5.25 million for preventative maintenance to extend the life of roads.
Proposition 1 is a continuation of a program approved by voters in 2005 and re-authorized in 2010, 2016 and 2021. No increase in property taxes is expected for this proposition.
If approved, work on the first projects would begin in August, with the full list of projects being completed by 2031, according to the city website.
Guest tax propositions
Proposition 2 would increase guest tax from 8% to 10% and consider expanding the tax to include overnight stays in recreational vehicle rental spaces.
Guest tax is a tax on short-term overnight stays in hotels, motels or other rentals such as Airbnbs. This tax is only paid by visitors, not by Norman residents, according to the city website.
Revenue from guest tax provides funding for:
• Parks and green spaces.
• Youth sports facilities.
• Trails and greenbelts.
• Recreation and cultural centers.
• Public art programs.
• Festival and holiday enhancements.
Norman visitors who stay in an RV, hotel, motel or other short-term rental for more than 30 consecutive days are exempted from the tax.
Funding allocations from guest tax are split between the city, Visit Norman and Norman Arts Council. If approved, 50% of revenue would go to Visit Norman, 25% to Norman Arts Council and 25% to Norman Parks and Recreation Department. A permanent public art fund would also be established, according to the city website.
If approved, the proposition would be effective July 1.
City Charter changes
Two propositions that could impact city charters will be up for consideration on the April 7 ballot.
Proposition 3 would change when the mayor and newly elected council members officially begin their terms.
Currently, terms begin on the first Tuesday in July. Proposition 3 asks for the start of terms be the first Tuesday following any scheduled runoff elections.
Elections for council members are held every February with potential runoffs scheduled in April. Council members are elected for two-year terms and the mayor serves for three-year terms.
If approved, the change would go into effect after current terms are completed:
• 2028 for even-numbered wards.
• 2029 for odd-numbered wards.
• 2031 for the mayor.
Proposition 4 would add alternative certifications for the city auditor position.
Currently, the Norman city auditor is required to be a certified public accountant. The change would allow candidates with other relevant professional certifications to qualify for the role, including certified internal auditor, certified fraud examiner or other equivalent credentials.
The city auditor position is a full-time, at-will role appointed by a five-member city council majority. The city auditor evaluates management procedures to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, the safeguarding of resources, and the integrity of financial and management records and reports.
The change comes after former City Auditor Shaakira Calnick resigned in October due to municipal code requiring the city auditor to be a certified public accountant. Calnick worked for the city for almost two years, despite not being a certified public accountant, due to an incorrect job listing.
If approved, all city charter changes would be sent to be signed off by the Oklahoma governor before they go into effect.
Permanent homeless shelter
Proposition 5 would create an $8 million general obligation bond to fund a permanent homeless shelter and resource facility.
The proposed shelter would house up to 120 people, according to the proposition. City Care, which would operate the shelter, would also offer additional services such as completing applications, obtaining ID cards or birth certificates, and job navigation.
The facility would include a women and men’s dorm, family units, laundry room, respite rooms, dog kennel, storage units, multi-use space, restrooms, showers and staff areas.
The shelter is proposed to be built on Reed Avenue, south of Griffin Memorial Hospital and adjacent to other resource providers such as Norman Food and Shelter, Cleveland County Health Department and Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center.
City Care facility renderings
City Care homeless facility rendering from Jan. 6, 2026.
The facility would serve as a low-barrier shelter, which uses a harm reduction approach and removes barriers to entry and continued residency.
The general obligation bond would be funded through property tax revenue and paid over 20 years, according to the city website. Residents would see an estimated annual increase of:
• $3.26 for homes valued at $100,000.
• $6.81 for homes valued at $200,000.
• $10.36 for homes valued at $300,000.
• $13.91 for homes valued at $400,000.
• $17.46 for homes valued at $500,000.
The bond would only cover facility construction expenses. Operational expenses are expected to be covered through the city’s general fund and City Care fundraising and grant efforts. According to the website, operational expenses are estimated to be around $930,000.
If the proposition is approved, the shelter is expected to be built within two years. If the proposition fails, the funding for construction would need to be identified.
Norman Public Schools Office 1 seat
Incumbent Dirk O’Hara is running unopposed for the Norman Public Schools Office 1 seat in the April 7 elections. An NPS spokesperson confirmed via email Monday that O’Hara will automatically be elected and won’t appear on the general ballot.
Office 1 covers the southwest portion of Norman and parts of McClain County, including Goldsby. Schools located in Office 1 include:
• Elementary schools: Truman, Jackson, Madison, McKinley, Monroe, Reagan.
• Middle schools: Alcott and Irving
• High schools: Norman High
O’Hara told the Daily in February that if elected, he would advocate for transparency and communication between himself and community members, prioritize student mental health and establish a health care academy for high school students who want to enter the medical field and establish an education academy for students who are aspiring teachers.
This would be O’Hara’s third elected term on the board. He ran unopposed in 2016 and against Pixie Quigley in 2021.
This story was edited by Natalie Armour. Andrew Higgins and Gretchen Schultz copy edited this story.
