By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Operating on a 10-year sunset, set to expire in 2025, Great Bend’s half-cent sales tax renewal question passed with more than 70% of the vote in this year’s General Election. The tax will now remain in effect until repealed or modified.
The renewal received 3,371 “yes” votes compared to 1,418 “no” votes. Great Bend City Clerk Shawna Schafer asked the city council Monday to authorize the citywide retailers’ sales tax.
"The governing body will now need to adopt the ordinance authorizing the levy of the citywide retailers' sales tax at a rate of one-half of one percent (.5%)," said Schafer. "As a reminder, this was a renewal. This is not a new sales tax. This is just a continuance."
The city council voted 8-0 to adopt the ordinance.
The 2023 numbers reported more than $2.3 million generated from the half-cent sales tax.
The tax has been used since 2001 to provide property tax relief, capital improvement projects and economic development. With 35% of the half-cent sales tax going toward property tax relief, the city was able reduce the mill levy by more than 21 mills in the 2023 budget.