TODAY. VISITORS ARE PAYING FOR OUR CITY’S CORE FUNCTIONS. VISITORS ARE PAYING TO FUND OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR STREETS. THAT’S MAYOR DAVID HOLT DURING HIS STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS. JUST TWO DAYS AGO, WHERE HE TALKED ABOUT A VARIETY OF TOPICS, FROM CALLS TO RAISE THE HOTEL TAX TO HOSTING DUTIES FOR THE 2028 OLYMPICS. A LOT TO TALK ABOUT. AND HE JOINS US NOW LIVE WITH THE RECAP AND TO TALK ALL THINGS OKC. MAYOR HOLT, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. WELL THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING OF COURSE, WE KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND WE LOVE TO SEE IT SO LET’S START. FIRST WE JUST SHOWED A CLIP THERE OF YOU CALLING FOR ACTION ON RAISING THE HOTEL TAX. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT AND WHY IT’S NEEDED. YEAH SURE. SO THAT’S COMING RIGHT UP. THAT’S IN ABOUT A MONTH. TUESDAY AUGUST 27TH. WE LAST DID THIS IN 2004. AND AGAIN IT GOT 89%. UM, SO THE MAIN REASON IS IT’S A TAX YOU DON’T PAY. IT’S A TAX THAT VISITORS PAY. AND THE WAY WE USE IT IS TO MARKET THE CITY TO SUPPORT EVENTS AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE LAST ADJUSTED THE RATE 20 YEARS AGO IS OTHER CITIES HAVE RAISED THEIRS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN OURS. AND SO THEY’RE OUTSPENDING US BECAUSE THEY USE THE MONEY THE SAME WAY THAT WE DO. THEY’RE SPENDING IT TO MARKET THEIR CITIES TO SUPPORT BIG EVENTS. UM, WE WE REALLY NEED TO STAY COMPETITIVE. THIS IS THE ONLY THE ONLY THING YOU WORRY ABOUT OBVIOUSLY, IS HAVING A RATE. SO HIGH THAT IT WOULD DISCOURAGE HOTEL BUSINESS, BUT BECAUSE OUR TAX RATE IS SO LOW HERE, THAT’S NOT AN ISSUE. THE HOTELIERS SUPPORT THIS AND THEY’RE REALLY KIND OF THE ONLY GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD HAVE ANY HEARTBURN. BUT IT DOES REQUIRE A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. AND SO WE’VE PUT IT ON THE BALLOT FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 27TH. AND KIND OF THE MESSAGE JUST IS, HEY, THIS IS A TAX. YOU DON’T PAY. IT’S A TAX VISITORS PAY. WE USE IT TO BRING MORE VISITORS WHO PAY. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SALES TAX, A LOT OF HOTEL TAX OBVIOUSLY, BUT BRINGING OVER $2 BILLION A YEAR TO OUR ECONOMY. SO IT’S IT’S A WIN WIN. IT’S ABOUT AS GOOD A DEAL AS YOU CAN GET BECAUSE IT’S A TAX. WE DON’T PAY. SO WE’RE JUST TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT. WE DON’T THINK IT’S A HARD SELL, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY’RE VOTING ON. WHEN THEY SHOW UP ON AUGUST 27TH. YEAH, WE HAVE A LOT OF BIG THINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE CITY AS WELL. ONE OF THOSE RIGHT NOW, GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION IS THE POSSIBILITY OF HOSTING SOME EVENTS FOR THE 2028 OLYMPICS. WE’RE STILL WAITING ON THE OFFICIAL APPROVAL FROM THE LA CITY COUNCIL WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO HEAR WORD THEY WENT INTO A SOON AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY LA 28 THAT IT WAS THEIR PLAN TO PUT THE ENTIRETY OF TWO SPORTS HERE, CANOE SLALOM AND SOFTBALL. THE LA CITY COUNCIL HAS TO CONSIDER SOME ASPECTS OF THAT, AND THEY WENT INTO A MONTH LONG RECESS. WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. SO THAT’S WHY I SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, IT’S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE WHILE FOR ALL OF THIS TO FINALIZE. BUT SO WE’RE RESPECTFUL OF THAT PROCESS AND WE’RE WAITING FOR THAT. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, ON TUESDAY AND EVERY DAY, I, YOU KNOW, IT’S IT’S EASY AND IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE THAT WE’RE EVEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO SEE EVERY, UH, I BE DOTTED AND EVERY T BE CROSSED. BUT BUT WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE AND WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND OBVIOUSLY IT’S HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. AND I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING UP. DIVE IN A LITTLE BIT TO CANOE SLALOM. SOFTBALL IS NOT BEING CONTESTED IN PARIS. BUT BUT KNOW THAT THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS, THOSE EVENTS ARE SLATED TO BE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. YEAH. AND SO JUST QUICKLY GIVE US HOW HUGE THIS WOULD BE FOR THIS CITY. SURE. I MEAN, I THINK THE OLYMPICS TRANSCENDS SPORTS. IT’S THE STRONGEST BRAND IN THE WORLD. AND WE’VE LONG HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH IT. WE’VE GOT AN OLYMPIC TRAINING SITE. WE’RE THE HOME OF AMAZING HISTORIC ATHLETES, FROM JIM THORPE TO NADIA COMANECI. I MEAN, WE LOVE THE OLYMPICS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S ONLY CONTESTED IN THE WORLD’S GLOBAL CITIES, ESPECIALLY THE SUMMER VERSION. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT’S GOING TO BE IN LOS ANGELES. IT’S IN PARIS, IT’S IN RIO AND SYDNEY AND LONDON AND BEIJING. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN’T HAPPEN IN OKLAHOMA CITY. SO AS A KID FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, THE THE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD HAVE THESE EVENTS THAT GOLD MEDALS WOULD BE PUT AROUND THE THE NECKS OF ATHLETES HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. UM, IT’S UNBELIEVABLE. I MEAN, IT’S IT’S IT’S AN EXCITING AND HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY. OBVIOUSLY, IT WILL, YOU KNOW, PREPARATION FOR IT AND PLANNING FOR IT WILL CONSUME THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THE SUMMER OF 28, IT WILL BE ALL WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AND THINKING ABOUT. AND BUT THEN THE LEGACY LASTS FOREVER. I MEAN, WE’RE GOING TO WE’RE GOING TO BE PROUD THAT WE HOSTED THIS EVENT FOR AS LONG AS THERE’S AN OKLAHOMA CITY. AND IT’S A PRETTY SPECIAL THING. YEAH, AND WE’RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. FINGERS CROSSED. WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT HERE IN OKC. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE CITY RECENTLY, EMBARK CELEBRATED A HUGE MILESTONE WITH A QUARTER MILLION RIDERS FOR THEIR NORTHWEST LINE. TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT SAYS ABOUT THE CITY’S NEED FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND HOW THOSE NEEDS ARE BEING MET. YEAH, I MEAN, THE THE THE THE PROGRESS IN PUBLIC TRANSIT OVER THE LAST DECADE HAS KIND OF BEEN REVOLUTIONARY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS I MEAN, WHEN I TOOK OFFICE, WE WEREN’T EVEN OFFERING BUS SERVICE ON SUNDAYS. I MEAN, WE’VE MOVED SO FAR. UM, AND, AND IT TOOK MANY YEARS BEFORE THAT LED BY MAYOR CORNETT AND OTHERS TO PUT US IN THIS POSITION. BUT ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, WE GOT THE GRANT FOR THIS LINE THAT YOU JUST REFERENCED. IT GOES UP CLASSEN IN NORTHWEST EXPRESSWAY. IT COMES EVERY TEN MINUTES OR SO. UM, IT TAKES YOU TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MILESTONES, AND THERE’S 40, UH, LANDMARKS ALONG THE WAY. AND THERE’S, THERE’S 40,000 PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THAT LINE. UM, IT’S IT’S A TECHNOLOGY WE CALL BUS RAPID TRANSIT IN THE TRANSIT WORLD THAT WE BRAND IT HERE LOCALLY. AND YOU SEE IT ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW AS THE RAPID, THE NORTHWEST RAPID. WHAT’S EXCITING IS MAPS FOR WILL BRING LINES JUST LIKE IT TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE NORTHEAST. AND OF COURSE, WE AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS IN MY STATE OF THE CITY ON TUESDAY. WE’RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT LEVEL OF THIS CONVERSATION IS REGIONAL TRANSIT TO EDMOND AND NORMAN AND THE LONG AWAITED RAIL LINE THAT WOULD TAKE YOU FROM, UH, EDMOND TO DOWNTOWN TO NORMAN. AND THAT CONVERSATION WILL CERTAINLY PROCEED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AS WELL. YEAH. AND OTHER EXCITING NEWS. WE JUST HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. TWISTERS. IT FINALLY PREMIERED OVER THE WEEKEND, HAD REALLY GOOD SUCCESS TOO FOR OPENING WEEKEND. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT HAVING PARTS OF THE FILM, UH, FILMED RIGHT HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE HAD FOR US AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY IN OKC, RIGHT? I MEAN, NUMBER ONE FILM IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW, THE FIRST FILM TO RECEIVE THE NEW OKLAHOMA CITY FILM INSTEAD OF CREDITED WHEN YOU SEE THE FILM, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THAT NEAR THE END IS OUR LOGO AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS FILMED IN OKLAHOMA CITY. UM, YEAH. ALL THE INTERIOR STUFF WAS HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, AND EVEN SOME THINGS THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU WHEN YOU SEE THE FILM. YOU’RE GOING TO SEE MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU’LL REALIZE THAT LOOKS A LOT LIKE PARK AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY. SO, UM, IT WAS EITHER IN OKLAHOMA CITY OR IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. AND YEAH, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US. OBVIOUSLY, WE SORT OF, AS A COMMUNITY HAVE A SPECIAL HISTORIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS FRANCHISE. UM, BUT BUT THE LAST TIME IT CAME, IT WAS KIND OF A ONE OFF. THIS TIME IT’S COMING, AND IT FEELS LIKE IT’S REALLY PART OF AN INDUSTRY. AND CERTAINLY IT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THAT. CONTINUED GROWTH. AND WE’RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT’S NEXT. YEAH, I HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET. I NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND WATCH IT. AND BEFORE WE GO, MAYOR, JUST ANYTHING FOR OUR VIEWERS HERE TO REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE OF OKLAHOMA CITY. WHAT’S NEXT? WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG THING WE’RE LOOKING AT? WELL, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’VE READ MY SPEECH FROM TUESDAY BECAUSE THAT WAS KIND OF THE THEME. IT WAS LIKE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME WE WE NOTCHED SOME AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT, LIKE THE ARENA IN DECEMBER, IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON’T REST ON OUR LAURELS. WE ALWAYS WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AND WE ASK, WHAT’S NEXT? AND IN THIS CASE, IT’S THE 2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS. IT’S REGIONAL TRANSIT, IT’S THE HOTEL TAX. SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW. OUR VISITOR INDUSTRY. UM, IT’S THE BOND ISSUE. WE’VE GOT CORE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN LATE 25. I MEAN, WE WE CONTINUE TO SEEK THE NEXT BIG THING. WE CONTINUE TO SEEK SELF-IMPROVEMENT. AND IT’S WHY WE CONTINUE TO GROW. IT’S WHY WE’VE SURGED TO BEING A TOP 20 CITY. UM, BUT I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE STATE OF THE CITY THIS WEEK WAS MAN WITH THE ARENA AND THE OLYMPICS AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT. THIS IS LIKE THE BEST TIME TO EVER LIVE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. ENJOY IT. YOU KNOW? SURE. KEEP THAT ENERGY BECAUSE I DON’T WANT YOU TO GET COMPLACENT. I WANT YOU TO KEEP ASKING WHAT’S NEXT? BUT TAKE A BEAT AND REALIZE THAT YOU LIVE IN A SPECIAL PLACE AT A UNIQUE TIME, AND ALL OKC DOES IS WIN. AND I THINK WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT. THAT TREND IN THE NEAR FUTURE. YEAH, A LOT OF BIG, REALLY EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING IN OKC. LOVE TO SEE IT. MAYOR DAVID HOLT