Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum described a robust city and his plans to lift it even higher at the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s State of the City event Thursday at the Cox Business Convention Center.

Before a sellout crowd of more than 1,200, Bynum spoke for about an hour, declaring he wants to squeeze the most out of his remaining 13 months in office to help create a globally competitive, world-class city.

The mayor’s goals include:

Bynum also announced Thursday the establishment of a Blue Ribbon Commission to make Tulsa the “Drone Capital of the World.”

“So much is happening very quickly to position the Tulsa region as the national leader in advanced aerial mobility,” he said. “If we are all pulling in the same direction, I am confident we can do it.

“…This commission will study ways the City of Tulsa can support this industry and make recommendations for how we will establish Tulsa as the world’s leader in Advanced Aerial Mobility.”

The mayor added that he is focused on establishing a long-term framework for governance with the tribal nations whose reservations intersect in Tulsa. Claiming Oklahoma state government is fixated on litigating this issue, he pledged to do as much as the city can on its own. 

“I believe the best way for us to resolve all of this is for the tribal nations to recognize the City of Tulsa as part of their nations -- the same way the State of Oklahoma recognizes us,” Bynum said. “The State of Oklahoma delegates self-government to the City of Tulsa on any issue they don’t claim for themselves.

“If the tribal nations would be willing to do the same, we could move beyond the litigation that has been a source of antagonism for the last three years and shift our focus to building that international center of Native American excellence right here.”

The mayor closed his address the same way he began --- bullish on Tulsa.

“We have covered a lot today because there is so much under way,” Bynum said. “It is an exciting time. I want to thank all of you for the parts you are playing to build the best city we can for future generations of Tulsans. 

“Today, the state of our city is strong --- and it is making the world a better place.”