Lincoln's quarter-cent sales tax for street repairs on Tuesday's general election ballot

Lincoln voters will decide Tuesday whether to continue a quarter-cent sales tax to pay for street projects.

The tax was originally approved in 2019 by a vote of 50.7% to 49.4% and is scheduled to end on Sept. 30.

“A vote ‘for’ would be the continuation of the ¼ of 1% sales tax,” said Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen, “and then a vote ‘against’ would be against continuing ¼ of 1% sales tax for the construction of streets in Lincoln.”

If approved, the tax will pick back up on Oct. 1, said Director of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Liz Elliott.

“The requirements on the quarter-cent sales tax is that 73.5% is invested in existing streets, 25% would be invested in growth projects… the fringes of this city,” Elliott said. “And then 1.5% is allocated to a partnership with the Railroad, Transportation and Safety District to improve the 33rd and Cornhusker area, and that particular project will involve building bridges essentially over the railroad tracks.”

The city has also received a nearly $67 million federal grant to pay for the 33rd and Cornhusker project, which is expected to cost at least $120 million.

Many people who have expressed opposition to continuing the tax say street projects don’t improve every part of Lincoln or they don’t want construction to disrupt their commute.

Elliott said every part of Lincoln has been touched by the sales tax.

“Over the last six years, about $18 million has been invested in every corner (of Lincoln),” she said.

Only about 25% of voters in Lincoln are expected to vote in Tuesday’s primary, Wiltgen said.

While there are four school board races, three for at-large City Council seats and one for Airport Authority, in addition to the ballot question, the lack of a mayoral race will likely tamp down voter turnout. 

“You have to take into account who's on the ballot,” Wiltgen said. “Two years ago, when there was a mayor's race and the four district City Council seats up for election, you saw higher turnout.”

In 2023, the election with a mayor’s race saw a 33% turnout, Wiltgen said. In 2021, without a race for mayor, only 25% of the city’s eligible voters filled out a ballot. 

Last fall during the general election that included the presidential race, 75% of voters in Lancaster County hit the ballot box, Wiltgen said. 

He added that for City Council, all three incumbents are running, and nine total candidates are vying for six spots.

“After the primary, the top six vote-getters will advance to the general election,” Wiltgen said.

Lincoln Public Schools districts one, three, five and seven are on the ballot. Only district three has more than two people contesting the race. 

In the Airport Authority race, both candidates will advance.

Wiltgen said it’s too late to mail in an absentee ballot. Instead, voters should drop their ballots into one of the Election Commission’s five drop boxes in the city.

“It's not when ballots are postmarked, it's when they are actually received,” Wiltgen said.

Here are the places with early voting drop boxes: 

• Election Commission, 601 N.46th St.
• Anderson Branch Library, 3635 Touzalin Ave.
• Eiseley Branch Library, 1530 Superior St.
• Gere Branch Library, 2400 S. 56th St.
• Walt Branch Library, 6701 S. 14th St.

The Lincoln General Election is May 6.