Lincolnites about to decide the fate of street improvement sales tax

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The quarter-cent sales tax is on the minds of many Lincolnites ahead of the primary election on Tuesday.

The sales tax generates $18 million annually, which goes toward street repairs and construction of new roads.

Voters will now decide whether to renew the tax.

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Channel 8 talked with two voters on Monday, and they had mixed opinions.

Rita Bennett told Channel 8 she plans on voting yes.

“I’m just like everyone else,” she said. “I never am anxious to pay additional tax of any kind, but I just think it’s important for our city. We’ve seen progress being made, and I can see a lot of reasons why we need to continue to have access to that funding.”

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But Robert Way has already voted no, saying he thinks this project is not worth the taxpayers’ money.

“I am in favor for city improvements,” he said. “My concern for this particular improvement is we’re not paying more taxes for less taxes; we’re trading freezing impact fees for more taxes.”

The Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department has flooded the airways and social media with ads about the program.

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LTU Director Liz Elliott said the tax is crucial for getting things done.

“If the quarter-cent sales tax does not pass tomorrow, we’ll go from 11 to 12 projects a year to two or three projects a year,” she said. “So the progress and the roadwork will come drastically to a slowdown.”

Elliott said if the city wanted to make up for the $18 million, it would need to eliminate all the libraries and other services.

If approved, the tax will continue for eight years, until 2033.