Tulsa Voters Decide Nov. 3 on Nearly Doubling Hotel Tax for BOK Center Upgrades

Tulsa voters will decide November 3 whether to raise the lodging tax from 5 percent to 9.9 percent. The increase would fund maintenance upgrades at city-owned venues and tourism marketing. Tulsans last voted to raise the lodging tax in 1984. The proposal marks the first increase in more than four decades. It applies to rental properties with five or more rooms.

The tax covers hotels, motels and short-term rentals like Airbnbs. At the current 5 percent rate, Tulsa is on track to generate $10.4 million in 2026. At 9.9 percent, the tax would generate $20.6 million. Local leaders often call the lodging tax a visitor tax. They note Tulsans pay it only when they book a local hotel or short-term rental.

BOK Center Upgrades Top the Project List

The BOK Center and Arvest Convention Center are city-owned. Keller Taylor is vice president of Oak View Group. The company manages both venues. Taylor outlined BOK Center improvements at an Oct. 19 media event. The planned work includes:

• an improved roof
• upgraded bathrooms and seats
• a new scoreboard with updated technology
• updated production offices, dressing rooms and locker rooms
• updated suites on the premium level
• a new restaurant on the premium level for more than 100 guests

Taylor said convention center work would focus on meeting space. “We’re looking at bringing those to today’s standard in terms of (audio/video), but the carpet and the paint, the airwalls have not been updated since the ’80s,” Taylor said.

Renee McKenney is president of Tulsa Regional Tourism. She is senior vice president at the Tulsa Regional Chamber. McKenney called the vote crucial for tourism infrastructure. “Tourism is a major economic engine in the city, supporting more than 16,000 jobs citywide, and an investment into Tulsa’s tourism infrastructure without requiring Tulsans to pay more in taxes is crucial to set the city up for success in the years and decades to come,” McKenney said.

Day Center Flags Hotel Residents

Josh Sanders is director of outreach and engagement at the Tulsa Day Center. He said a large number of people live in hotels across the city. The nonprofit places 50 to 60 people in hotel rooms during extreme weather. Sanders estimated rooms would cost about $50 more a month, depending on the hotel. He said the increase may not seem substantial to people in short-term rentals. Sanders said staff discussed a risk of more people seeking services late in the month if the increase is approved.

“It’s not going to have a big effect on us financially on that side, but where we are concerned is with a number of folks who do pay for hotels on their own,” Sanders said. “We may be worried about nothing.”

A lodging tax is charged to guests who book a room. The revenue goes to the city that levies the tax. Voters decide rate changes at the ballot box.

The vote is Nov. 3. Early voting runs from Oct. 28-31. The increase would take effect Jan. 1, 2027 if approved.