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Oklahoma City Suburbs, Oklahoma

Live Oklahoma City Council coverage -- 8:30 a.m. Tuesday


Oklahoma City hotel tax collections surpassing estimates

News | Yesterday | Comment on this article Leave a comment

Oklahoma City is hosting more visitors than ever before, and it's showing up in hotel-motel tax receipts that have exceeded expectations. The city has collected nearly $700,000 more in hotel taxes than it had this time last year, city budget figures show. That follows even more robust growth the previous year. A collegiate swimming and diving competition and sports convention this fiscal year were among the big hotel room draws in the city that created the bump, according to a city memo.

Michael Kimball

Reporter- OKC & Oklahoma County Government
Michael Kimball began his reporting career at The Oklahoman in 2007 and has covered breaking news and the Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County governments. He is a 2007 graduate of the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Michael, who came to Oklahoma after graduating high school in Albuquerque, N.M., has won multiple statewide reporting awards and participates in Newsroom 101, The Oklahoman's program for high school students interested in learning about journalism.
Reporter's live tweets from Oklahoma City council meeting
  • OKC_Beat @alamokie iTalk will work but only if you use speakerphone. Otherwise you need a recorder and one of these: LINK
    Today 03:18:19 PM
  • OKC_Beat #bffs @edshadid and @okcmanager (who get along fine, for real) MT @ello_guvnah: @SpokiesOKC brings people together. LINK
    Today 03:14:20 PM
  • OKC_Beat RT @cliftonhowze: Remember all of those water commercials you've seen on TV? You won't be seeing them for awhile, at least temporarily LINK
    Today 03:09:15 PM
  • OKC_Beat @joewertz I wish smuggling was like plumbing so everyone had "a guy" for it. "You should call my smuggling guy. Cheap. Reliable. Friendly."
    Today 03:07:12 PM
  • OKC_Beat @lookatlauren oh no no, that was more a policy discussion. I'll let you know what happens tho.
    Today 02:17:26 PM
  • OKC_Beat Burn. RT @Tiffanyg89: Riding around OKC with Metro Transit and meeting some interesting people. LINK
    Today 02:05:40 PM
  • OKC_Beat Hey reporters. Use this to look up salaries of federal employees you're writing about. Or friends to be jealous of. LINK
    Today 01:36:20 PM
  • OKC_Beat Here's the new @SpokiesOKC setup at the downtown #OKC library. It's ready to go now, but official launch is Friday. LINK
    Today 11:43:36 AM
  • OKC_Beat Oopsie. #OKC wants easier collection of delinquent SALES taxes, not property as mentioned in previous tweet. LINK
    Today 10:04:32 AM
  • OKC_Beat @laurajohnson2 oooops. Glad I had that mental lapse in the tweet and not the story.
    Today 10:01:23 AM
  • OKC_Beat @CarsonWilliams4 Good times. Tomorrow night can't come soon enough.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 09:06:45 PM CST
  • OKC_Beat @CarsonWilliams4 Mr. Williams!
    Tue, May. 15 2012 08:16:33 PM CST
  • OKC_Beat RT @Tiffanyg89: . @OKC_Beat was live tweeting from the Oklahoma City Council meeting today and did a great job. Here's a recap. LINK
    Tue, May. 15 2012 04:24:30 PM CST
  • OKC_Beat @Arantha Wow, Bo is 9? We got old fast.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 01:21:53 PM CST
  • OKC_Beat @lookatlauren Will do.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:57:20 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat @ello_guvnah @SpokiesOKC I've written lots of Spokies stories, so I'm skipping that but covering the launch on Friday.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:57:03 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat @mzmartincoyne Apparently some people don't want them returned. I didn't expect there to be much resistance, but there is.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:56:27 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat Thanks for joining today. Back to normal tweeting until next week.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:24:46 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat They're in executive session now to discuss the water rights case and others. So with that, today's council meeting is effectively over.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:24:21 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat About to be a presentation on drainage in northeast Oklahoma City. It's that kind of meeting today. Should be wrapping up before too long.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:10:58 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat Expect Shadid to keep pressing this issue.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:07:44 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat Councilman @edshadid wants to know what the city can do about smoke-free zones. State wants to control what cities can do.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 11:07:28 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat @melikegirls +1
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:58:15 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat @okcjohnson @stevelackmeyer I've had season tix since Day One. Always park at McGee and Broadway, or nearby, for free. It's great.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:55:28 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat @stevelackmeyer I know Iguana does. I had a bad experience riding their shuttle once, but I'm sure there are plenty of positive experiences.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:49:37 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat Today is the public hearing, with a vote in a couple of weeks. Look for a short story on it this weekend.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:38:57 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat Getting close to the end. Item from @MegForWard6 that would regulate what you can keep on your downtown balcony.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:38:37 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat Some guy just called the Oklahoma River's river sports area a "liquid speedway." Is that really a term? Awesome. Much better than "river."
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:27:28 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat That item will be set for a public hearing in a couple of weeks.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:21:16 AM CST
  • OKC_Beat Good discussion on the city potentially making it a misdemeanor to duck sales taxes. Could help enforcement.
    Tue, May. 15 2012 10:20:01 AM CST




Latest Oklahoma City Area News

Cooler breaks down at state medical examiner's office in Oklahoma City
Bodies to be transferred to refrigeration trucks as officials search for part to fix decades-old cooler. Read More
High temperatures near 87 degrees in Oklahoma City Wednesday
The high temperature in Oklahoma City will be near 87 degrees Wednesday. The National Weather Service forecast is below. Read More
Oklahoma City plans to ease collection of delinquent sales taxes
The Oklahoma City Council is considering an amended city ordinance that would make it easier to go after businesses with delinquent sales tax bills. Read More
Two men are arrested in Oklahoma City weekend shootings
Joe Lee Jackson Jr., 33, and Richard Jackson, 19, were booked into the Oklahoma County jail Monday on complaints of murder and assault and battery. Read More
Edmond Memorial boys clean up at Meet of Champions
Just three days after winning the Class 6A team championship, the Edmond Memorial boys showed the rest of the state how they did it at the Oklahoma Track Meet of Champions Tuesday night at Moore. The Bulldogs were strong again in the sprints and intermediate distances, led by Tulsa signee Bryce Robinson. He... Read More
Conn. accident shows dangers of distracted driving
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A teenage driver is under arrest after authorities said the distraction of a handheld cellphone caused her to fatally hit a jogger, whose father blames his death on her "stupidity." The death of 44-year-old Kenneth Dorsey in Norwalk and the subsequent criminal charges against the... Read More
In the face of shrinking budget, University of Oklahoma department pulls out faculty phones
Earlier this year, the University of Oklahoma's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering disconnected telephones in faculty offices to make up for a shrinking budget. OU President David Boren said such cost-cutting measures aren't unique. Read More
Oklahoma City man accused of burning girlfriend with cigarette as child watched
James Michael Lake, 29, was charged Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court with domestic assault and battery stemming from an argument with his girlfriend. Read More
Oklahoma City hotel tax collections surpassing estimates
Oklahoma City has raked in about 8 percent more in hotel-motel tax collections this year than it did last year. Hotel tax collections are projected to be about $12 million of the city's $952 million budget next fiscal year. Read More
High temperature of 84 degrees in Oklahoma City Tuesday
Temperatures will be in the mid-80s in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City will have a high near 84 degrees Tuesday, the National Weather Service reports Read More



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Oklahoma City, OK
85°
Clear
Winds: E @ 8mph
Wind Chill: 83° F
Humidity: 34%
Sunrise: 6:23 am
Sunset: 8:29 pm
  • WED
    88°
    69°
  • THU
    87°
    59°
  • FRI
    85°
    61°
  • SAT
    88°
    63°
  • SUN
    84°
    64°
  • MON
    81°
    63°
  • TUE
    82°
    62°
  • WED
    82°
    66°
  • THU
    82°
    65°
  • FRI
    78°
    67°

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