Economic Development Sales Tax funds incentives, tourism
On Feb. 10, Bartlesville voters will decide several ballot issues for the City of Bartlesville, one of which is the 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax — a tax that has helped bring hundreds of jobs and millions in economic impact to the area since it was enacted nearly 40 years ago.
Economic development sales tax revenues are used to fund Bartlesville Development Authority programs that have helped create hundreds of jobs throughout the community, bring national brand retail and dining experiences, and incentivize resident housing initiatives. These revenues also help fund Visit Bartlesville’s tourism efforts, bringing with it an economic impact that far exceeds the investment.
“As the economic development arm of the City, the proceeds from the 1/4-cent economic development tax are used exclusively for sustaining and enhancing the community’s long-term viability,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “These revenues ensure that we are able to compete with other communities for job creation and brand recruitment.”
BDA: 40 years & still going strong
The 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax was first approved by voters in 1986 and has been extended by voters every five years since. If approved in the Feb. 10 election cycle, there will be no increase in sales tax, as the existing 1/4-cent will simply remain in effect until 2031.
“The 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax is a small tax that has a big impact on Bartlesville,” said incoming BDA President/CEO Chris Batchelder. “It gives Bartlesville an enormous competitive advantage. When opportunities arise, our community has the resources on hand to immediately capitalize. So many of the assets we now take for granted – from our industrial parks to our new stores and restaurants – would not have happened without the community’s long-standing investment in its future.”
The incentives and other programs funded by economic development sales tax revenues help keep the business community strong by keeping jobs in Bartlesville, Batchelder said.
“When we are able to grow and retain primary jobs locally, we keep employees and their families here,” he said. “This, in turn, puts more students in our schools, more shoppers in our stores and more people in our restaurants.
“The 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax matters very much for our community. As a regional retail hub, Bartlesville also benefits from a steady stream of visitors who shop and spend time here. They pay our sales taxes, too, and thus contribute substantially to our economic development.”
The BDA has compiled a large list of accomplishments over the years — among them the Walmart Distribution Center, Silver Lake Village Shopping Center, the Shoppes at Turkey Creek, the relocation of Atwoods, which facilitated the construction of Chick-Fil-A and the redevelopment of Eastland Shopping Center, just to name a few.
In the current five-year ED tax period, economic development incentive funds have been used to facilitate several projects, some of which include:
- Blue Whale Materials – 100+ new jobs
- Lincoln Electric – 100+ new jobs
- ABB expansion – 60 new jobs
- Metal Goods Manufacturing/KC Welding expansion – 40 new jobs and expanded facllity
- Phillips Precision Machine – building expansion
Other notable accomplishments are the recruitment of Whataburger, Seven Brew, Bricktown Brewery, HTeaO, Wingstop, Jimmy’s Egg, Dutch Bros. Coffee, Tropical Smoothie, and Neal’s Furniture.
The Resident Recruitment Program, one of the most successful economic development tools implemented in Oklahoma, was established by the BDA a few years ago. The program has recruited 125 new residents to Bartlesville to date and is still going strong.
“The BDA has been able to deliver a number of projects and programs that help make our community better through the economic development tax, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to continue our mission of recruiting new primary jobs and targeted brand retail to Bartlesville,” Batchelder said. “We’re grateful for the success we’ve had over the last 40 years, and we look forward to continuing that success for another five years.”
Visit Bartlesville: It all starts with a visit
Visit Bartlesville, the tourism arm of the city, is also partially funded through the 1/4-cent ED sales tax, with its remaining funding provided through the city’s lodging tax. Though the organization receives only a small piece of the ED sales tax pie, it brings a whopping $2.5 to $2.7 million to the city in sales tax revenue.
Through support of events, group tours, tournaments and film productions, Visit Bartlesville helps bring new spending into the community.
“Visitors contribute more than one tenth of all spending in Bartlesville, support millions of dollars in annual sales tax revenue, and generate growing economic returns through events, group tours, tournaments, film productions, and overnight stays,” said Executive Director Maria Gus. “Roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of all visitor spending in Bartlesville goes directly to local businesses rather than national chains.
“This spending supports local businesses and directly contributes to city revenues, which helps fund public safety, infrastructure and amenities without increasing taxes on local households.”
Reported fiscal impact from supported visitation totaled $699,402 in Fiscal Year 2023, $764,587 in FY 2024, and $863,624 in FY 2025.
“This visitor supported revenue plays an important role in funding city services,” Gus said. “Based on household estimates for Bartlesville, the visitor share of sales tax equates to roughly $175 to $187 per household per year in tax capacity that residents do not have to shoulder alone. Even in years when total sales tax growth is modest, the steady contribution from visitors helps stabilize city revenues and supports essential services such as public safety, infrastructure, and quality of life amenities.
“Continued support for economic development and tourism funding helps ensure Bartlesville remains competitive, vibrant, and financially resilient. It is not simply an investment in promotion, but an investment in long term economic stability and quality of life for the entire community.”
Click HERE to see a live presentation on the 1/4-cent Economic Sales Tax.
How to vote
Absentee ballots, sample ballots and other information are available at the OK Voter Portal, oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp.
Information about voting, projects and sample ballots is also available at www.cityofbartlesville.org.
Friday, Jan. 16, is the last day to apply for voter registration in order to be eligible to vote in the Feb. 10 election. For more information or to download an application, visit oklahoma.gov/elections.
In-person early voting will be held 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 5 and Feb. 6 at the Washington County Election Board, located on the fourth floor of City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave. in downtown Bartlesville. (Saturday voting is not available for this election). Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 10.
More information
For more information, contact the BDA at 918.336.8708, Visit Bartlesville at 918.336.8709, the Washington County Election Board at 918.337.2850, or the City of Bartlesville at 918.338.4282.