Gaylor Baird outlines goals, timeline for Lincoln street repairs

In her first week in office, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced her goals for city street repairs. 

In a press conference Thursday morning, Gaylor Baird said planning has begun for street work that will be completed with income from the recently approved quarter-cent sales tax. The tax, approved in April, will bring in an estimated $13M a year, city officials said.

Gaylor Baird said revenue from the tax, which takes effect in October, will begin flowing in December, with street work expected to begin in the spring of 2020. The mayor said she expects to name an advisory committee and begin public engagement in the next two months. 

“During the first two years, the vast majority of resources will be directed to residential areas, and we will make street improvements in every quadrant of the City,” Gaylor Baird said. 

In addition to residential areas, work on more complex projects will begin in the third year, Gaylor Baird said. The sales tax is slated to last for six years. 

Gaylor Baird promised funds from the quarter-cent sales tax will only be used to address pavement conditions “curb to curb.” Additional improvements will receive other funding, she said. 

Gaylor Baird said residents should expect to see work begin earlier this year enabled by existing funds, with projects including 96 blocks of residential rehabilitation, improvements to major arterial streets, and implementation of Phase 3 of Green Light Lincoln, among others.