Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols continued to advocate for his proposed city budget Monday night, including planned utility rate hikes.
Nichols spoke at the city's second community conversation of 2026 at Hannah Banquet Hall in east Tulsa. They mayor once again highlighted the city’s services and improvements.
He also acknowledged that a higher price tag for utilities isn't a popular plan, but said the money is necessary to keep ongoing services like water delivery up to date and free of costly breakdowns.
“We definitely need improvements," Nichols said. "I think the estimation is a couple billion dollars that’s needed."
The mayor’s budget proposal totals around $1.22 billion and is currently under review by City Council.
