On July 22, 2026, the Tulsa City Council unanimously approved placing a hotel excise tax increase on the November voter ballot. The proposed rate would rise from the current 5% to 9.9% for tourists staying at hotels within Tulsa city limits.
Revenue to Fund Venue Upgrades at BOK and Arvest Centers
The additional tax revenue is earmarked to support maintenance and improvements at Tulsa’s BOK Center and Arvest Convention Center. Visit Tulsa President Renee McKenney told 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa that the city has not raised the hotel tax since 1984.
McKenney said, “For us, this is a big day in that we want to really make sure that
we can take our guest money as they come in and re-invest that into our city. Those ways, we invest to keep up at the BOK (Center) and the Arvest Convention Center. And then it also makes a great place for Tulsans all around.”
Councilor Anthony Archie highlighted that the current tourism department is underfunded and understaffed, limiting Tulsa’s competitiveness in recruiting artists and conferences. “If we gave them the resources that we needed, we would be able to continue to bring in some of those acts that we are losing to Dallas or Kansas City,” Archie stated.
First Hotel Tax Increase Since 1984 Reflects Funding Challenges
The hotel
tax has remained at 5% since 1984, contributing to the tourism department’s constrained staffing and resources. According to Councilor Archie, this underfunding has hampered efforts to secure events and performances, with Tulsa losing some to neighboring cities.
The largest share of the increased revenue is planned for interior repairs at the Arvest Convention Center and BOK Center, with work expected to start in January following potential tax approval.
Additional City Funding Decisions and Upcoming Votes
Alongside the hotel tax ballot measure approval, the Tulsa City Council authorized allocating one million dollars for the 1921 Race Massacre Graves Investigation. Over half a million dollars was also approved for
maintenance of the city’s Route 66 and welcome signs.
The council is scheduled to consider a one million dollar funding request for the OK Pop Museum on July 29, 2026.
If approved by Tulsa voters in November 2026, tourists staying in city hotels will face the higher hotel tax. The measure aims to provide essential funding to maintain Tulsa’s major event venues and support the city’s tourism and cultural sectors.
