Council Approves Fiscal Year 2027 Tulsa Budget
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
On June 17, the Tulsa City Council voted unanimously to approve the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget, totaling approximately $1.227 billion. The approved budget includes a General Fund allocation of $445.1 million, representing a 6.1% increase over the previous fiscal year. The General Fund is the City’s primary operating fund and supports the core services that impact all residents.
In addition to adopting the annual budget, the Council also approved items related to the surplus in the 2016 Vision Tulsa Economic Development Fund. This surplus includes $103 million in one-time funds and $12 million in annual funds. Of that amount, $35.4 million is incorporated into the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget.
The budget reflects extensive collaboration between the City Council, the Mayor and the City’s finance team. Throughout the budgeting process, the Council held its annual retreat with the Mayor and Auditor to establish priorities, conducted 15 televised committee discussions on budget items and Vision Tulsa surplus funds, and hosted four public hearings to gather public feedback.
“This budget is a reflection of strong collaboration with a continued focus on transparency and public engagement,” said Council Chair Karen Gilbert. “Together, we focused on the priorities that matter most to Tulsans, including strengthening public safety, investing in neighborhoods, addressing homelessness with both immediate and long‑term strategies, and ensuring the City remains on stable financial footing. This budget moves Tulsa forward while maintaining the high level of service our residents expect.”
Council Budget Adjustments
The City Council reviewed the April 22 proposed budget and made targeted adjustments. Key updates include:
Homelessness Response
The Council approved an ordinance to designate $23.5 million in 2016 Vision Tulsa surplus funds for homelessness response initiatives to be implemented on a multi-year plan.
Pursuant to that plan, the Council intends to appropriate up to $6 million over the next year in quarterly installments for the Safe Move Tulsa initiative and collaborate on standardized reporting and community feedback sessions.
$500,000 was appropriated for low-barrier shelter operations.
Emergency Management
The Council approved the requested emergency management funding in FY27.
Funding for additional FY28 staffing for the new City Emergency Management Office will be addressed once new leadership is established and can present a full operational assessment and funding recommendation.
Tulsa Zoo
To address a shortfall for the African Wilds project, the City will contribute $7.5 million in Improve Our Tulsa I fund balance, contingent on the Zoo raising an additional $2.5 million from other sources.
Route 66 and Welcome Sign Assets
Establishing a maintenance fund with $100,000 in FY27 and FY28 to support ongoing upkeep of these assets and to help evaluate the need for future or larger maintenance funds.
RiverParks Trail Safety
Inclusion of $60,000 for additional Tulsa Police Department overtime to support enhanced enforcement of excessive speeds on shared-use trails.
Nuisance Property Remediation
Adding one‑time funding for potential demolition of two chronic nuisance hotel properties if lien recovery is not possible.
“The budget process does not end with adoption; it continues throughout the year as the City evaluates performance, adjusts for efficiency and responds to changing community needs,” Council Vice Chair Christian Bengel said. “In the coming months, we will also continue work on key areas such as mental health, utility assistance and public safety to ensure every investment delivers meaningful, lasting impact for Tulsa.”
Post‑Budget Commitments
Mental Health
Continued monitoring of COPES 911 funding and state resources for potential FY28 service expansion.
Recommend funding the Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) team for three years using more than $1 million in opioid settlement funds, pending a separate budget amendment, and support from other funding partners.
Ongoing advocacy for increased state mental health funding.
Utility Assistance
The Financial Empowerment Center, in collaboration with City Councilors, will develop a Utility Assistance Program using existing resources.
Families and Public Safety
Maintains current funding for the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth and Families with continued discussions regarding funding for contracts, positions and direct services.
Continues monitoring the Family Safety Center’s building maintenance requirements.
Vision Tulsa Surplus
The 2016 Vision Tulsa Economic Development Fund exceeded revenue projections, leaving a surplus of $103 million in one‑time funds. One‑time allocations include:
Municipal Court, Lockup/Jail, and Arena District improvements – $18.876 million
Homelessness programs and facilities – $23.5 million
Public Safety Center – $25 million
General Fund economic development incentives – $4.15 million
Economic development priorities – $18.5 million
Annual funds support Zink Lake operations and Gilcrease Museum operations and improvements.
For FY27, $35.4 million of the surplus is appropriated toward:
Public Safety Center – $25 million
Homelessness initiatives – $2 million
Approved economic development incentives – $2 million
Gilcrease Museum operations – $5 million
Zink Lake operations – $1.4 million
Other Highlights
Key items in the FY27 adopted budget, highlighted previously in the proposed budget and that reflect the shared priorities of the Mayor and Council, include:
Public Safety and Emergency Management
Public safety continues to be a top priority for the City, and the FY27 budget places a strong emphasis on aligning resources and investments to continue to achieve better outcomes. Included in the budget is:
Funding for two police academies, adding 55 new officers
Funding for two additional civilian police positions to support digital evidence and records processing
Funding for one fire academy, adding 22 fire cadets to maintain full staffing levels
$7 million in capital funding for fire apparatus and equipment
Funding for the creation of the City’s first Office of Emergency Management
Tulsa Animal Services
Includes support to increase capacity to improve response times, reduce loose animals, further spay and neuter educational efforts, and support the transition to the new shelter, which is expected to open later this summer.
The FY27 budget includes funding for eight new positions, including one animal control officer, an additional veterinarian and six additional operational support staff.
Tulsa Municipal Court
In 2025, Tulsa Municipal Court realized a 10% increase in the number of people showing up for their court dates. Given this momentum, the City will begin moving 10 temporary grant-funded positions permanently into the general fund for FY28. These permanent positions will support continued improvements in court operations, case processing and programs to address the underlying causes of municipal offenses.
Code Enforcement: Increasing Peak Response Times from “3 Months to 30 Days or Less”
Currently, code enforcement has a backlog of 1,600 cases, and in peak growing season, the backlog can grow to more than 3,500 cases. To help reduce the backlog of cases and improve response times, the budget includes funding for four new positions and expanded operational funding.
With this additional staffing and operational support, the goal is to reduce response times during peak season for Priority 2 and 3 cases from (at times) more than 3 Months to Under 30 Days or Less within the first year.
Investing in Safer Neighborhoods and Core Infrastructure
The FY27 budget makes targeted investments to improve quality of life across Tulsa, including:
Installation of nearly 1,200 new neighborhood lights in priority areas, including:
Sequoyah Neighborhood, Suburban Hills Neighborhood, Charles Page Neighborhood and Riverwood Neighborhood area near 61st and Peoria
Continued funding for parks, pools, youth programs, mowing cycles, graffiti removal and neighborhood maintenance
$19.5 million for housing initiatives to support affordable housing goals
Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility and Employees
Importantly, given the discussion of bringing the budget in line with the cost of doing business, which was a major focus of FY26 budget conversations, the FY27 budget reduces the City’s reliance on one-time fund balance by $3.8 million, continuing the City’s effort to better align ongoing expenses with recurring revenues.
While 2016 Vision Tulsa funding offsets some costs in this budget, the City did freeze 45 long-standing vacant positions to reach a balanced budget while maintaining current service levels. The Administration also made a commitment to work with the Council to honor current obligations to City employees now and plan for wage enhancements in the future.
Utility Rate Adjustments
To support critical infrastructure and long-term system reliability, the FY27 budget includes utility rate adjustments to protect the City’s core infrastructure and keep pace with the cost of doing business.
As part of the rate adjustments, the typical residential customer can expect an increase of approximately $5.82 per month, reflecting a:
7% increase for water
4.7% increase for sewer
7% increase for stormwater
4% increase for refuse and recycling
These adjustments are based on professional, multi-year modeling and have been approved by the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority (TMUA) and the Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy (TARE). Utility customers who are signed up for EMSAcare will not see a change for that service on their bills.
Next Steps
The approved budget now moves to the Mayor’s desk for signing. Fiscal Year 2026–2027 begins July 1.
The City’s fiscal year budget serves as Tulsa’s annual financial blueprint. Adjustments occur routinely during the year, and any change over $100,000 requires Council approval at a public meeting. Residents are encouraged to share feedback directly with their Councilor. Contact information is available on the Council website.
The proposed budget (as of April 22) and the final adopted budget will be posted at:https://www.cityoftulsa.org/budget
Information about the budget process, presentations and Council discussions is available at:https://www.tulsacouncil.org/budget
