SALINE COUNTY -Beginning this week, registered voters in Saline County will receive a ballot in the mail asking whether the city’s special sales tax should be increased from 0.4% to 0.75% for the next 20 years.

The Salina City Commission previously voted in favor of committing the $9.35 million the special tax is expected to raise each year for improvements to city streets, stabilizing property tax, parks, job creation, capital improvements, neighborhood revitalization and the Smoky Hill River channel cleanup. according to a media release.

A “yes” vote will be in favor of increasing the special sales tax.
If voters approve, Salina’s overall sales tax will increase from 8.40% to 8.75%, an increase of 35 cents for every $100 spent.

Salina voters approved a 0.4% special sales tax in 2008. That tax will expire in 2019, unless it’s replaced sooner by the higher tax that would go into effect if this vote is approved.
According to Saline County Clerk Don Merriman, about 29,000 ballots will be sent to the Post Office today, and registered voters should receive them by Wednesday or Thursday.

Merriman said the ballots must be in his office by 12 p.m. on May 10.

If voters reject the sales tax increase, Salina City Manager Jason Gage said that money derived from the 0.4% sales tax from 2008 should be enough to fund the current level of services to the city until early 2019.