Tulsa’s City Council has raised another tax – this time a 3 percent hike on room stays at the city’s largest hotels. Described as a “Tourism Improvement District,” the tax increase only applies to hotels with more than 110 rooms. City officials predict it will raise more than $2,400,000.00 in new revenues. The extra money…
Dec. up 13.4%, ‘18 up 13.2% State revenues increased by 13.2 percent – more than $1.5 billion – in 2018 compared to 2017, according to new State Treasurer Randy McDaniel. The state took in a little less than $13 billion in taxes in 2018, with $1.1 billion coming in December. December 2018 was $135 million…
Mayor G.T. Bynum and the Tulsa City Council are formulating plans for a massive tax increase for more improvements in Downtown Tulsa. No details on the actual cost will be sought have been released to the public. Bynum, who is registered as a Republican, unveiled an 160-page document that calls for millions of dollars in…
State revenues have been setting records every month for a year yet the State Board of Equalization has authorized a budget surplus of $612 million. Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to move slowly on allocating a surplus. Republican leaders urge caution because of the up-and-down nature of energy prices. And Democrats want a tax increase to…
The Oklahoma Education Association, a wing of the National Education Association, deserves credit for getting public education in such a mess in Oklahoma. Last year, the OEA promoted a walkout/strike to raise teacher salaries after the Republican-led Legislature voted in salary increases for public teachers. No amount of tax increases is enough in the eyes…
Record-setting tax revenue for November, 12 months Lawmakers who want to raise taxes will have a weaker argument when the legislative session begins in February thanks to record-setting revenues pouring into state coffers. State Treasurer Ken Miller’s report on November tax receipts showed an increase of nearly 16 percent from November of 2017. The November…
A little-known provision of the Affordable Care Act has been stealthily contributing to higher health insurance premiums. It’s called the Health Insurance Tax, or HIT — and Congress is finally ready to do something about it. Earlier this summer, a bipartisan House majority voted to suspend the HIT through 2021. Now it’s the Senate’s…
The Tulsa City Council has approved a huge tax increase that will mostly be spent on projects chosen by the chamber of commerce. The hotel tax increase could be delayed or stopped as some hotel owners are threatening legal action because they think the plan was made without consulting them. The Tourism Improvement District, created…
Mayor G.T. Bynum and the Tulsa City Council love to raise taxes and fees to grow government and they are experts at disguising the impact. The latest salvo of taxation is a “tourism improvement district.” This tax scheme would raise an additional $2,300,000.00 a year by increasing the cost of hotel stays. This scheme mandates…
In the race for governor, Republican Kevin Stitt defeated Democrat Drew Edmondson and Libertarian Chris Powell. Stitt, a highly successful businessman, had never run for public office before. Edmondson, part of a Democrat family involved in state politics for decades, was a former state attorney general. In the First Congressional District, political newcomer Kevin Hern,…