The Jenks Coalition for Smart Growth JCSG started as a grass roots organization and has evolved into an energized group of citizens seeking to recognize an authentic Jenks in the future.   

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Over the years, Jenks has been named one of the fastest growing cities in Oklahoma due to the dramatic increase in population.  Depending on who you ask, there is less than 11% developable land left in Jenks... a good reason to be concerned as to what will be built in this place we call home.

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Why do people move to Jenks?  We've been told many residents locate here due to the small town charm, green spaces, school reputation and the ability to hop on the Turnpike or 75.  If you think about it, Jenks had a quaint downtown known for antiques, a variety of grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and establishments attracting residents to the area.  The recent addition of the Tulsa Premium Outlet Mall should prove to contribute to sales tax growth and time will tell if the tax incentives were worth it. 

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The JCSG uses resources like the Horizon Jenks Comprehensive Master Plan as a guide.  During the inception of the group, the core team alerted neighbors and the Jenks community to missing information from the economic development discussion.  We held events allowing for unrestricted flow of information between neighbors. Through the efforts of volunteers, we were able to collect signatures for the first referendum petition in Jenks, with  a citywide vote pertaining to a controversial development as the goal. The JCSG strove to engage as many citizens as possible in order to determine if the development was a right fit for Jenks. After all, even if you don't live by the proposed development, the project used tax payer land, as well as taxpayer dollars to fund the Tax Increment Financing TIF districts created by the city to incentivize developers.  Think of a TIF district like a credit card for developers... the expenses are paid back with economic incentives/tax dollars.  

 

For the last two years, the JCSG core team has not sat idly by while awaiting a ruling regarding a lawsuit brought by a local developer.  We attend countless city, chamber, regional meetings.  We have met with a wide variety of government and similar entities in our pursuit to find the truth, in regards to the future of Jenks. We have continued to examine accountability and transparency in our quest to discover and share information with the Jenks community. The best part has been speaking with individuals and groups to understand their perspectives.  In some cases, we have been a resource and/or sounding board for people seeking their own answers; or the community has alerted us to information relevant in our pursuit of the truth.

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Our focus has grown and we can't wait to share the information with you. Stay tuned!