Tulsa voters will soon decide on a Hotel Tax increase, doubling the existing tax.
Tulsa city leaders encouraged voters to vote “yes” on the hotel guest tax increase, and the money collected will be invested back into the city. The officials met at the Mother Road Market to discuss the benefits of the tax increase.
The tax will go from 5% to 9.9% and will be paid primarily by tourists staying in hotels and short-term rentals. If passed, it’s estimated to bring in $20.6 million a year to market the city of Tulsa and attract more visitors.
Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols spoke about what it means for the city.
“When we talk about winning the next decade, I’m talking about building a city where people want to live, where businesses want to invest, where families want to stay, and where visitors want to come back, but we have to realize that we are in a competitive environment,” Nichols said.
Elliot Nelson, founder and CEO of McNellie’s Group, talked about how the tax increase can help local businesses and restaurants, and Derrick Alexander of the Tulsa Small Business Connection echoed Nelson’s sentiments.
Tulsa City Councilman Christian Bengel said, “This isn’t a tax directly on (Tulsans). This is a visitor’s tax. We want to capture as much of their dollars as we can, right, to invest in the facilities that they use.”
Nichols says the city council unanimously supports the tax increase.
