Gering Council Prepares to Place Infrastructure Sales Tax Before Voters

Gering Council Prepares to Place Infrastructure Sales Tax Before Voters
Gering City Council reorganizes, then takes action on the Community Redevelopment Authority Jan. 10 (KNEB/RRN)
January 11th, 2022 | Scott Miller

Gering city leaders are laying the groundwork to take a half-cent sales tax increase for infrastructure to the voters later this year.

The Gering City Council Monday night approved new members for the Community Redevelopment Authority, and termination of the agreement between the city and CRA to clear the way for a new agreement, which needs to be in place before the city can place an LB357 measure on the May ballot.

City Administrator Pat Heath says the goal of the sales tax increase would be generation of funding which would help replace infrastructure, especially aging water and sewer lines. “Our water mains are 105 years old now. They’re old cast iron mains installed in 1917, and the same with our sewer mains, they were all installed in that 1917 to 1928 time period,” said Heath. “They’re both in poor shape. We’ve got several areas where we need to rehab sewer lines, maybe put a liner inside the existing line, and the water mains need to be replaced.”

The additional funding could also help with street construction, such as 10th street from the Union Pacific tracks to Country Club Road, and East M Street.

A new CRA agreement needs to be in place by the Jan. 24 council meeting.

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