Fate of proposed sales tax increase in Lincoln voters’ hands Tuesday

At Tuesday’s primaries, the mayoral race won’t be the only issue Lincolnites will be voting on.

They’ll also decide the fate of a proposed quarter–cent sales tax increase.

The city officials said it would bring in an additional $13 million a year in revenue over the next six years, most of which would go to street repairs.

“About 50% of our neighborhood streets right now need complete reconstruction or complete rehabilitation,” Transportation and Utilities Director Miki Esposito said.  “What happens if we don’t infuse this kind of booster shot of funding into those streets then they just fall further and further into disrepair.”

Officials said Lincoln is growing and that the $19 million the wheel tax annually generates is not enough for future street needs.

Twenty–five percent of the revenue from the proposal would go toward building new non–residential streets for private sector development.

Watchdogs of Lincoln Government group member Jane Kinsey said the city could have been clearer about that.

“We were lead to believe, overall, that this was going to repair our streets that are not in good shape and that it wasn’t going to be for the developers,” Kinsey said.  “Maybe their campaign statement mentions this, but the public is not getting that message.”

The city had announced that 25 percent of the proposed tax increase would go toward building new roads.

They said, if passed, the increase would cost the average family an extra $31 per year.

On Tuesday, you the voter will decide whether or not to approve this quarter–cent sales tax increase.