Five companies, $6.6 million: How Payne County has used the tax break behind SQ 844

Oklahoma voters decide Aug. 25 whether to let lawmakers change how the state repays local governments. Here is what the program has actually delivered in Payne County.

Chris Peters

Aug 19, 2026 - 11 min read

Early voting runs Aug. 20-21 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Aug. 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 25. All registered voters may vote on state questions regardless of party. – Photo by Chris Peters

Five companies, $6.6 million: How Payne County has used the tax break behind SQ 844 — Early voting runs Aug. 20-21 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Aug. 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 25. All registered voters may vote on state questions regardless of party. – Photo by Chris Peters

Payne County is home to about 2 percent of Oklahoma's population. Last year it received six thousandths of 1 percent of the state fund that repays local governments for property taxes manufacturers do not pay.

That fund is the subject of State Question 844, which Oklahoma voters decide Aug. 25.

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