FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

Voters will decide whether to increase Tulsa’s Hotel Guest Tax from 5% to 9.9% on short-term overnight stays. Here’s the wording you will see on the Nov. 3 ballot:

“Hotel Tax Proposition No. 1”

“Do you approve Ordinance NO. 25830, which increases the levy of an excise tax from five percent (5%) to nine and nine-tenths percent (9.9%) upon the gross proceeds or gross receipts derived from the rent from every occupancy of a room or rooms in a hotel in this City and establishes an effective date of January 1, 2027?”

No, this tax will not affect Tulsa residents. This tax only applies if you book an overnight stay at a Tulsa hotel, motel or short-term rental for fewer than 30 consecutive days. It does not affect your income, property taxes or everyday purchases.

They do—out-of-town visitors staying in Tulsa hotels. Tulsa residents would only pay it if they book a short-term stay (under 30 consecutive days) at a hotel or rental within city limits—for example, a staycation. Day-to-day life in Tulsa is unaffected.

Tulsa’s Hotel Guest Tax rate hasn’t changed in more than 40 years, while every comparable regional city—Oklahoma City, Midwest City, Norman—has already raised theirs. Meanwhile, BOK Center hasn’t had a major renovation since it opened in 2008, and Oklahoma City is investing in new venues ahead of a major arena project opening in 2028. Acting now keeps Tulsa competitive for the events and visitor spending that support local jobs.

Tulsa’s current rate (5%) is well below Oklahoma City (9.25%), Midwest City (9.25%), and Norman (10%). The proposed 9.9% rate would bring Tulsa in line with its regional peers.

The current 5% rate generates approximately $10 million a year. The proposed 9.9% rate is projected to generate an estimated $20.6 million a year.

• 54% — Maintenance, repairs, and bond obligations for BOK Center, Arvest Convention Center, and Tulsa Performing Arts Center
• 40% — Tourism marketing and promotion through Visit Tulsa
• 4.5% — Economic development through TAEO/PartnerTulsa and Tulsa’s Future
• 2% — Auditing, enforcement, and administrative accountability

No. It applies only to the cost of the room itself—not to food and beverage charges, parking fees, equipment fees, early check-in/late check-out fees or damage recoupment.

• Permanent residents (30+ consecutive days at the same property)
• The U.S. government, State of Oklahoma, and other tax-exempt government entities
• 100% permanently disabled veterans, as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

If approved, the new 9.9% rate would take effect January 1, 2027.

Yes. Visitor spending in Tulsa totaled $1.43 billion in 2023—up nearly 4% from the year before—equal to about $3.9 million spent by visitors every single day.

Yes. Tourism supports more than 16,000 jobs in Tulsa, or 1 out of every 16 jobs citywide. Every dollar invested in tourism returns an estimated $162 in direct business sales, sales tax revenue and labor income.

The City plans a phased approach: first issuing $80 million in revenue bonds (combined with $48 million in existing funds) to complete $128 million in urgent venue upgrades, then prioritizing paying down those bonds quickly to reduce long-term costs, and later shifting additional revenue toward expanded marketing and event recruitment.