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A ballot initiative to continue a quarter-cent sales tax for another eight years passed easily Tuesday, and will generate roughly $18 million a year for repairing existing streets and building new ones. The ballot initiative passed by a 67% to 33% margin, a win for city officials and a coalition of business organizations that supported the so-called Lincoln on the Move program. The 24,492 votes for the initiative and 12,265 against represented 20.
6% voter turnout. More than 7,000 provisional and additional early vote ballots still need to be counted. The quarter-cent sales tax has been in effect since 2019, when voters passed a similar ballot initiative by a razor-thin margin of 51% to 49%.
This year's margin surprised many, and city officials thanked voters for their support. People are also reading..
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Pillen killed in crash near Scottsbluff Lincoln councilman can't change vote to reappoint pandemic-era health board members "This victory affirms our shared commitment to making strategic, steady investments in the streets that support our economy, safety and quality of life," Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said in an emailed statement. Chief of Staff Rick Hoppe said the city is incredibly grateful to voters. "It will just make such a noticeable difference to the everyday driver with smoother, easier-to-navigate streets and growth for new housing and development," he said.
"This is huge both in an economic sense and in terms of the everyday driver." Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott said the approval reflects the community's shared priority in investing in city streets. "We are ready to continue improving Lincoln streets and delivering on the promises made," she said.
"Thank you for believing in this effort and in the future of our city." City Council Chairwoman Sändra Washington said she was thrilled to be able to continue to make progress on street improvements. "I'm so happy we have the community's support to continue to make the progress we've made the last six years.
" Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jason Ball commended voters for prioritizing continued investment in the city's infrastructure. “That will drive economic growth and enhance quality of life for residents and businesses alike,” he said. Lincoln can now continue its commitment — and momentum — to improve and expand its transportation network, ensuring that roads, streets and key infrastructure projects keep pace with the city’s growth, he said.
“This vote is a testament to the community’s shared vision for a stronger, more connected Lincoln,” he said. Still, Ball said, the influx of sales tax revenue won’t be enough to keep up with road infrastructure needs, and the chamber is committed to working with community leaders to find “innovative new ways” to further support infrastructure investment. The chamber was a part of a coalition that supported renewing the sales tax, as was the Lincoln Independent Business Association, the Home Builders Association of Lincoln and the Realtors Association of Lincoln.
The Lancaster County Republican Party urged voters to vote against the measure, and while there was no formal opposition, former Drive Time Host Doug Fitzgerald became a loud voice in opposition in recent weeks. During the first six years of the Lincoln on the Move program, the tax revenue paid for 65 street projects. The city anticipates collecting about $102 million by the end of September, and estimates the sales tax will generate another $144 million in revenue over the next eight years.
City officials said without the tax revenue it would take the city up to 22 years to complete those 65 street projects, and road projects would have taken more than three times as long and cost more. Proponents campaigned on the fact that about $5 million in Lincoln on the Move dollars come from visitors to Lincoln, not residents. Opponents thought the city could find other sources of revenue within the budget.
Before the 2019 vote, a task force study determined the city needed an additional $33 million a year to keep up with repairs and maintain a quality street system. As with the current Lincoln on the Move program, Tuesday’s ballot initiative requires at least 25% of the revenue to be used for new construction of non-residential streets and at least 1.5% to be used for the North 33rd Street and Cornhusker Highway railroad crossing project.
Inflationary increases on impact fees will be frozen for eight years, keeping a deal struck with stakeholders six years ago; and create a new interlocal agreement with the Railroad Transportation and Safety District to provide money to complete the final engineering and construction work on the 33rd and Cornhusker project. As with the current Lincoln on the Move program, none of the money will be used for sidewalks, trails, traffic signals or other non-paving projects, nor could it have been used to pay off any city-issued bonds. The ballot language also requires a citizens’ oversight committee appointed by the mayor to advise city officials, and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities must continue creating an annual report on how the money is used.
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