The City Council on Monday approved Fiscal Year 2026-27 operating budgets for the Bartlesville Development Authority and Visit Bartlesville. The BDA budget includes a $655,088 appropriation and a $202,486 carryover, for a total budget of $857,574. Visit Bartlesville received a $345,000 appropriation, contributing to a total budget of $383,190 including carryover and other revenue.
BDA President & CEO Chris Batchelder said economic activity across northeast Oklahoma continues to accelerate.
“On the primary industry front, northeast Oklahoma remains a prime target for recruitment, and late in 2025 and throughout 2026 the Department of Commerce project portal seems to have gone into overdrive,” Batchelder said. “Bartlesville has gotten the attention of the region due to our success in recent years in corporate and individual recruitment and retention.”
Batchelder highlighted the progress of Blue Whale Materials and Lincoln Electric Products, both of which have met — or are close to meeting — their initial hiring goals well ahead of schedule. He also noted two BDA-led construction projects currently underway: an industrial spec building at Bartlesville Industrial Park, targeted for completion in early 2027, and a commercial maintenance hangar at Bartlesville Municipal Airport, expected to be completed in late 2026.
He added that Bartlesville continues to experience a “hot streak” in retail development.
“The Highway 75 corridor had several new additions, and our downtown continues to thrive and evolve,” he said. “We get inquiries almost daily from developers and retail consultants with questions about our community. We are currently in discussions with several potential retail partners and look forward to future announcements that could have a significant impact on the growth of our community.”
The BDA serves as the City’s economic development arm and is funded through the 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax.
Visit Bartlesville
Visit Bartlesville leads the City’s tourism efforts and is funded primarily through the hotel-motel tax.
“Visit Bartlesville remains committed to delivering a strong return on investment to the City of Bartlesville and its partners through strategic marketing, sales efforts, and visitor services, while continuing to advocate for destination development and long-term economic growth,” said Visit Bartlesville Executive Director Maria Gus.
“Visitors make a measurable impact in Bartlesville. Continued investment in tourism ensures we support local businesses, sustain community assets like The Center and the Economic Development Fund, and remain competitive in attracting new visitors.”
Both the BDA and Visit Bartlesville are governed by individual boards, though funding approval through City tax revenue requires City Council authorization.