TULSA, Okla. — In this week’s edition of ‘Mondays with the Mayor’ Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum joins the KRMG Morning News with Dan Potter to discuss raises for Tulsa Firefighters, his involvement in a White House event, and a $30M grant coming to the City of Tulsa.

Mayor Bynum started things off by talking about the new Tulsa firefighter raises.

Bynum says budgeting is one of the more challenging aspects as Mayor. Bynum tells KRMG that each city department, including TFD, has a union to make sure they have the best-paying benefits. He says it’s a really tough process because he loves the team members and he wants them to be paid but the reality is “nobody makes what they deserve.

Bynum says the Mayor’s Office is in the position where they can secure increases in pay, but at the same time, they know that members are getting hit with inflation costs that eat into their paychecks. At the end of the day, Mayor Bynum says they were able to make it work, settling on the “largest year-over-year pay increase” for TFD.

“This is one of the best fire departments in the world,” said Bynum.

Mayor Bynum then talks about a recent online White House Event.

Bynum was invited to participate in the event as regarding the City’s work to turn Tulsa into a “data-driven city.” Mayor Bynum has been invited twice to the White House, and this meeting was about how they utilize data to drive decision-making within Tulsa. They’re also using the data to determine how they’re using American Rescue Plan funds in the city of Tulsa.

The biggest point, Bynum says, has been the overhaul of the municipal court system.

Finally, a $30M grant is coming to Tulsa. The Biden administration and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Tulsa is one of 21 recipients to be awarded a grant in the amount of $38.2 million.

Mayor Bynum tells KRMG that the money will help to grow alternative modes of transportation including drones and e-vehicles. Bynum says this money will give the City an opportunity to grow those industries in Tulsa. The bulk of it will, Bynum says, will overhaul and build wastewater infrastructure at the Port of Inola. Bynum says the City is also partnering with the Osage Nation to test drones.

You can listen to the full interview with Mayor GT Bynum on the KRMG Morning News with Dan Potter here:

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