Tulsa Officials Announce Economic Recovery Plan For Local Businesses

Mayor G.T. Bynum said his economic recovery advisory committee now has a plan to help local businesses recover from the pandemic.

This committee spent the last few months talking about the top priorities for economic recovery.

Bynum, city and county leaders, and almost two dozen business owners comprise the city's Economic Recovery Advisory Committee.

They came up with both short and long-term goals to deal with recent financial challenges.

Tulsa's Chief of Economic Development Kian Kamas said the plan is "Helping us think about the economic pivot strategy. What are the things we can be doing now to create a more resilient economic base for Tulsa?”

Kamas said businesses need access to capital, tools, and resources. The city has already done part of that through the more than $1 million Resilience and Recovery Fund.

Other goals include supporting Tulsa Remote, a program that pays some people to work from Tulsa. They also want to focus on better access to affordable housing.

"It gives us I think, as a community, a comprehensive strategy over economic revitalization moving forward that everybody in our community can play a part in," Bynum said.

Bynum and Kamas say there are clear challenges as companies struggle to pick up steam again while following CDC guidelines, but there is still some good news.

"We're still seeing people invest in Tulsa, we're still working with employers who are hoping to grow, that's a very positive thing," Kamas said.

City leaders they'd love to get feedback on the committee's plan and you can fill out an online survey.