UPDATE: Lincoln holds first open house on quarter-cent sales tax

UPDATE:

On Tuesday, the city hosted an open house on the proposed quarter–cent sales tax increase at Belmont Elementary School.

The city said it would cost the average family an extra $31 per year.

It’s something that residents will vote on in April and one that the city said is vital for repairing roads.

“It’s $13 million annually,” Transportation and Utilities Director Miki Esposito said.  “Seventy–five percent of the funding will go to existing streets.  Twenty–five percent of the funding will go to new growth, building new streets.”

Officials said they wanted to host this open house to educate the public on the issue.

They said the ballot language makes it clear that the revenue from the tax increase will only go to street repairs and construction.  They said all wheel tax currently goes toward transportation, but that the $19 million it annually generates is not enough for future street needs.

Some who attended said their questions were answered.

“Found that it was going to go strictly for streets,” Sharon Neeman.  “The only thing I guess that we weren’t sure about was the 33rd and Cornhusker railroad repair over there.”

“We are getting squeezed left and right with taxes by the city,” Rene Ramos said.  “The city’s taxing us to death.  The roads are important, but the city needs to find more creative ways to fund these projects.”

“Why have we let this go on so long?” Jason Moore said.  “Where’s all this money — that the city has been pulling for taxes — where has all of this been going that it hasn’t been going to the roads sooner?  So why are we all of a sudden in mayhem as far as our roads?”

If you weren’t able to make the open house Tuesday night, there are other opportunities.  They’re hosting another one Wednesday night at Irving Middle School.  The other two are:

-March 5, 6-8 p.m. at Lux Middle School, 7800 High St.

-March 6, 5-7 p.m. at Dawes Middle School, 5130 Colfax Ave.

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Voters will decide on the proposed quarter–cent sales tax in April.

Tonight, the city’s holding an open house on it and they encourage the public to attend.  One is at Belmont Elementary School from 5-7 p.m.

Public Works Director Miki Esposito said it’s vital that quarter–cent sales tax passes.  She said it would generate $13 million per year and that it would go to toward street repair and construction.

“About 50 percent of our neighborhood streets right now need complete reconstruction or complete rehabilitation,” 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.”

The city said it would cost the average family an extra $31 per year.

Again, voters will decide on the proposal on April 9th.