Mayor vows to continue convention-tourism talk

<br>(Tulsa-AP) -- A proposal to generate money to revamp convention and tourism in Tulsa was shot down by voters. But supporters of the proposal say they will keep working to get the measure passed. <br><br>Fifty-two

Thursday, November 9th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Tulsa-AP) -- A proposal to generate money to revamp convention and tourism in Tulsa was shot down by voters. But supporters of the proposal say they will keep working to get the measure passed.

Fifty-two percent of Tulsa voters rejected the proposal. It would have implemented a half-cent sales tax to generate 263 million dollars for development projects.

It was the second defeat of a large-scale convention and tourism plan in three years.

Mayor Susan Savage is optimistic the measure can be passed. She says it took voters three elections to approve construction of the convention center in the 1960s.

Savage says Tulsa's success rate on bids for new convention business has already dropped from 85 percent to about 50 percent.

Opponents say the proposal was shot down because there was no feasibility study outlining all costs and the potential returns.