By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The November 2021 General Election results saw 1,067 Great Bend citizens vote in favor of a .15% quality of life sales tax increase. The sales tax question passed with nearly 55% of the vote, and now City of Great Bend officials are going through a master plan of ideas to enhance the community.
Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns said there are big dreams of what can
be created with the sales tax in the future if enough money is set aside
including community centers, indoor walking track and an indoor pool.
"You want to have a little of every project," said Burns. "You want to have the low-hanging fruit, middle-priced projects and your high-priced. I think it's good as long as you're able to space those out and keep showing progress. I've said this I don't know how many times, but just not sitting on a taxpayer's dollar and actually doing something with it."
The .15% sales tax is expected to generate $635,000 in the 2024 budget.
The heftiest price tag item funded by the quality of life tax so far is the
splash pad to be installed at Veterans Memorial Park for $677,000. Burns
expects installation on the 50' x 70' splash pad to get started by the
end of the year.
"I think we have a pretty good location just northwest of the bathrooms at Vets Park," said Burns. "We have meters in place, the sewer line is right there and electrical is within 100 feet. From that standpoint, it makes sense. You're not spending a lot of extra money just getting utilities to the site."
The splash pad is expected to be installed prior to the 2024 summer.