GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska (KSNB) – Grand Island voters have cast their ballots on whether or not they support the Good Life District.
Voters will decide whether or not to allow the city to establish an economic development program for the Good Life district.
By 5:30 p.m., unofficial results showed that 7,488 votes had been cast, corresponding to a voter turnout of 28.65 percent.
In these votes, 5,044 people voted for the Good Life District, while 2,415 people voted against it.
Ballots were mailed to the 26,140 voters registered for this election in July.
Voters will decide whether or not to allow the city to establish an economic development program for the Good Life district.
HERE’S A LOOK AT THE VOTING QUESTION:
According to city officials, Grand Island’s Good Life District is a diversion of existing sales tax funds.
Currently, buyers on Grand Island pay 7.5% sales tax, with the state taking 5.5% and the city taking 2%.
Under the Good Life District’s proposal, the state’s share of the sales tax would be shared with the city.
So the state would take 2.75% and the city would add 2.75% to its sales tax in the Good Life District (shown in the pink shaded area below), for a final total of 4.75%.
The overall tax rate for consumers remains unchanged at 7.5%.
The money from this plan will go into a dedicated city fund for economic development.
Tonja Brown, chairwoman of Grow Grand Island, said the state will conduct regular audits to ensure the funds are being used as intended.
Grand Island City Manager Laura McAloon told Local4 earlier this month that the Good Life District will not impact other taxes in the city or state.
In 2023, the Nebraska Legislature approved the creation of Good Life Districts as a tool to promote the retail, entertainment and tourism industries and attract more visitors from other states.
Grand Island Senator Ray Aguilar played a big role in creating the Good Life District for his hometown and said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“This year there were only five opportunities in the entire state, and we are very, very fortunate to be the third city selected for this process,” Aguilar said last month. “It shows the capabilities of the people of Grand Island, the organizations that are continually working on economic development opportunities and ways to improve our community.”
If the measure is passed, the city will begin receiving sales tax payments on October 1 of this year.
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