Breaking Down the Budget: Capital Programs & HR Discussion

As City Councilors prepare to review the City of Tulsa’s fiscal year 2025-2026 budget proposal, it’s essential they receive updates straight from the experts. That’s why the City Council is holding budget discussions in April in advance of its annual budget review scheduled for May and June.   

The first two budget discussions centered on capital program implementation and City employee recruitment and retention. Included below is a summary of the updates provided. And stay tuned for future discussions on revenue trends and utility rates.

Follow along with the budget process and learn more at tulsacouncil.org/budget. 

City of Tulsa Capital Program Implementation Update 

The most familiar sources of City of Tulsa funding are the ones for which elections are held every few years. These include General Obligation Bond Issues and extensions of the Third Penny Sales Tax - Improve Our Tulsa and Vision Tulsa. Both of these sources are used to construct capital improvements like roads, bridges, flood control, and other critical needs identified by residents, the Council and the Mayor. 

Councilors discussed updates on current capital improvement projects with City departments on April 2. Updates are important because the budget process includes the annual appropriation of funds to carry out capital projects. Councilors must also consider the future operational costs of those capital projects.

The new City Architectural Building Services (CABS) group provided an update on parks and building projects. The City’s Public Works Department gave updates on road projects. Highlights include: 

PARKS 

• A third of Citywide tennis court rehabilitation is complete 

• The second round will include about 20 more courts  

• Every court in the park system is scheduled to be converted or resurfaced by 2026 

• About 20 full playgrounds have been replaced 

• Another 20 playground improvements are underway with more in design 

ANIMALS 

• The Animal Shelter expansion project closed bids for developers in February and the City is in the process of awarding a bid in the coming weeks 

• The Tulsa Zoo Carnivores and African Wilds project bid opened at the end of February, a contractor was selected and construction on the exhibit will begin soon 

• The Tulsa Zoo Elephant Encounter ribbon cutting was held in April and features an extensive renovation of the existing elephant interpretive center, outdoor spaces and barn  

ROADS 

• Public Works has 350 ongoing projects using funds from three Improve Our Tulsa (IOT) packages 

• Last year, Public Works cleared about $270 million of construction projects 

• There are currently about 58 projects that will begin after utilities are completed 

• About $30 million in utility relocations have been cleared to date this year 

OTHER PROJECTS 

• The Gilcrease Museum is approximately 93% built and is slated to be finished in September 

• The exhibits will be completed next year with a prospective opening date in early 2027 

• Three projects on Riverside Drive at Crybaby Hill are on hold to work out further details 

Watch the capital program discussion here 

View the capital program status reports here 

See a map of road projects here 

City of Tulsa Employee Recruitment and Retention Update 

Erica Felix-Warwick, Human Resources (HR) Personnel Director, joined the City Council during the Budget & Special Projects Committee on April 16 to present a workforce update – specifically focused on the City’s non-sworn employees. 

Non-sworn employees are those working in various departments such as IT, Finance, Streets & Stormwater and more. (Sworn employees refer to uniformed public safety personnel like police officers and firefighters.) The individuals serving in this capacity have a direct impact on the organization’s ability to provide quality services to residents – whether they’re fixing broken water lines in all kinds of weather, keeping traffic lights operational, or helping Tulsans build vibrant, inclusive communities. That’s why monitoring staffing levels and ensuring the City is attracting and retaining top talent plays a role in the Council’s budget process. Employee recruitment, retention and compensation has also been a Mayor/Council Budget Priority since 2018. 

Workforce updates are also important from a budgeting perspective as the General Fund is the principal operating fund of the City. The largest expenditure category is payroll, which represents about 73% of the General Fund budget for fiscal year 2025. 

Key highlights from the discussion include the steady growth in non-sworn employees over the last twelve-month period and a noteworthy 115 new employees in the Water and Sewer Department, in addition to the lowest modifiable (not due to unavoidable circumstances) turnover rate (9%) in the last ten years — compared to the City’s overall rate of 11%.  

As of April 2025, HR reported the following: 

• Number of non-sworn employees (2,231), 

• New employees hired (420), 

• Overall modifiable turnover rate (11%), 

• Retirements (59), 

• Budget Positions (4,320), * 

• Vacancies (182). 

* Includes sworn employee budgeted positions. 

View the HR discussion here 

View the HR presentation here

Find more information on the budget process including a timeline, introduction to budget basics and how you can get involved on our budget homepage.