Voters approved raising Norman’s hotel room tax from five percent to eight percent on Tuesday evening, according to unofficial results from the Oklahoma Election Board.
For the proposition received 69.93 percent of votes cast, and 30.07 percent voted against the proposition.
Norman’s hotel room tax applies to hotels, Airbnb and other short-term rental properties for occupancy under 30 days. As long as residents can prove their address via a utility bill or identification, Normanites will not have to pay the tax when renting rooms.
The revenue from the increased tax will fund park development, the Norman Arts Council and Visit Norman to support a sports commission.
In a statement to OU Daily, City Manager Darrel Pyle wrote that the city appreciates the voters’ approval of the tax increase, and adding it will improve Norman’s ability to hold quality of life and community events.
“This tax helps fund community festivals, park improvements, public artwork initiatives, sporting events and more – making Norman a premiere city to live, work, play and visit,” Pyle wrote.
This story was edited by Karoline Leonard and Jazz Wolfe. Nikkie Aisha and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
