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Enid officials propose raising hotel tax to 12% to fund Stride Bank Center and county expo
Summary
City officials presented a proposal to raise Enidhotel tax from 8% to 12% and place the question before voters in a special election Aug. 25; city estimates an additional ~$700,000 in revenue and proposes a 60/40 city/county split of total receipts for tourism and facility operations.
Mayor Mason and city staff used a study-session presentation to preview a proposed ordinance and special-election proclamation that would raise Enidhotel-tax rate from 8% to 12% and, if approved by voters, use the added receipts to support tourism-related operations and capital needs.
Gerald, the presenter for the proposal, said the city currently collects about $1,400,000 annually under the 8% rate and estimates a 4-percentage-point increase would add roughly $700,000, for an estimated $2,100,000 in total hotel-tax revenue at 12%. The presentation proposed allocating all receipts on a 60/40 split between the city and Garfield County; under that split the citywould receive about $1,260,000 and the county about $840,000, the slides showed. The measure would be placed on a special election on Aug. 25 if the commission files the proposition by June 10; the presenters said the tax would take effect Oct. 1 if approved by voters.
Why it matters: presenters framed the increase as a way to have visitors, not residents, pay for investments that support events and venues that drive overnight stays. The proposal explicitly prioritizes funding for the Stride Bank Center and the Garfield County Expo Center, and also leaves city funds available for broader tourism promotion and event-bidding activity.
City and county case for the tax David Henneke, chairman of the Garfield County Fairgrounds Trust Authority, told commissioners the county expo is aging and faces capital needs including HVAC and electrical upgrades and rising insurance costs. "Our facility is almost 30 years old," Henneke said. "We need funds to help keep the facility up to snuffand to have money available in case we have a big capital infusion." Henneke said insurance increases required the expo to absorb roughly $60,000–$70,000 out of its own budget in one recent year and that the county supports a hotel-tax increase that would yield about $300,000 more annually for the expo.
Local-business and tourism advocates framed the tax as investment, not a tax on residents. Jeff Funk, a volunteer promoter for the JUCO World Series, said sports tourism "allows visitors to pay their fair share" and helps restaurants and retailers. Ryan Zoladeck, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said bringing visitors "is an opportunity to highlight our local businesses" and called the proposal an investment in Enid's future. Marcy Mack, the city's ERDA director, said added revenue would make the city more competitive when courting employers and events.
Legal and procedural notes Presenters and the mayor emphasized legal limits on city involvement in ballot promotions: the city may pay the administrative costs of placing a measure on the ballot but cannot use city funds to promote the measure, they said. The timeline presenters gave: file by June 10 to appear on the Aug. 25 special-election ballot; if voters approve, the tax would take effect Oct. 1 and appear in the city's monthly collections starting that reporting period.
Outlook At the study session commissioners asked about hotel capacity and whether additional private hotels could be expected if demand grows; presenters said private developers would likely respond to demand. No formal vote was taken during the study session; the proposal will appear on the commission's regular agenda for consideration and, if approved there, would be filed for the August special election.
