Mayor Nichols Presents FY26 City of Tulsa Budget

4/30/2025

This evening, Mayor Monroe Nichols presented the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget proposal to the Tulsa City Council with a total proposed budget of $1.117 billion, which includes all of the City's capital and operational funding.

When it comes to most everyday services, the City's primary operational fund, the general fund, is budgeted at $419 million. This fund, which relies on sales tax funding, pays for police, fire, streets, and other key operational areas that impact the daily lives of residents.

“This proposed budget provides the essential services that Tulsans expect to receive from the City; it protects the personnel we have; it hits on our shared needs and priorities; and it ensures we progress toward a balanced and sustainable financial position," Mayor Nichols said. "I'm incredibly grateful for the public servants who dedicate their time and energy toward making Tulsa the best city it can be, and I'm eager to meet with the City Council over the coming weeks as we have an open dialogue on this proposal and work to meet the shared goals of our collective values and priorities."

Mayor Nichols shared during his budget presentation that the City's expenses over this last fiscal year have exceeded 2025 projected revenues, and the City had to look at ways to reduce expenses, specifically in the general fund, to avoid the practice of using fund balances to offset the City's everyday operations and expenses.

Mayor Nichols reiterated that with the current economic predictions, Tulsa is in a position to experience low-to-moderate growth, so the proposed budget had to be a budget that reflected the City's commitment to bringing down spending in line with current projections, while at the same time meeting the goals and priorities that are important to residents and that were identified during the Mayor/Council retreat.  

FY26 Budget Proposal Highlights

Housing & Homelessness

• Funds dedicated staff to lead housing and homelessness initiatives
• Funds transitional living facility, additional temporary transitional housing opportunities, and multiple other homelessness initiatives
• Allows for the implementation of our 3H task force recommendations including the first phase of the $75 million in Improve our Tulsa 3 funding

Public Safety

• Funds two Tulsa Police academies (55 new cadets) and 24 new firefighters to ensure the Tulsa Fire Department remains fully staffed
• Funds the mental health partnership at the 911 Center, in addition to our Community and Alternative Response Teams
• Provides needed resources for Tulsa Animal Services and allows for the construction of the new shelter
• Funds continued rehabilitation work at the Public Safety Center, which is expected to open in 2027

Economic Development

• Funds nearly $60 million over the next four years for wastewater and other infrastructure improvements that are necessary to spur new economic developments in Tulsa
• Funds additional staffing to increase permit responsiveness and implement new fast-track permitting processes
• Funds upcoming efforts for the upcoming Route 66 Centennial

Youth Outcomes

• Funds the Office of Children, Youth and Families
• Funds the Financial Empowerment Center
• Ensures the City is able to keep our pools open, our seasonal day camps operating, and our school crossing guard positions funded

Essential Services

• Restores the City's emergency operating reserve to a level of 10% of the general fund
• Funds street maintenance crews, highway lighting and traffic synchronization
• Ensures upgrades across the entire Parks system continue at a time when Tulsa Parks is going through the largest improvements project in its history
• Funds code enforcement, planning and neighborhood, that help impact neighborhood conditions

Rates

To keep Tulsa in line with the cost of delivering service, this proposal also funds City utility services at adjusted rates approved by the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority and the Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy, which were reduced below the original planned rate increases. If rates are approved through the budget process, the rates would take effect in October.

The typical residential Tulsa utility customer could expect their bill to increase by about $4.71 per month.

Adjusted rates:

• Water - 5.4%
• Sewer - 2.3%
• Stormwater - 12%
• Refuse & Recycling - 4%
• EMSA - no increase

Mayor Nichols' full budget speech can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/mayor and proposed budget items can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/budget.

The Tulsa City Council will review and discuss the Mayor’s proposed budget and have a budget approved for the upcoming fiscal year at least seven days prior to June 30, the end of the City’s fiscal year. After the budget has been approved, Fiscal Year 2025-2026 will begin July 1.