With the May 6, General Election passed, Levelland Citizens placed their votes in favor of the street maintenance sales tax.
According to the Hockley County Elections Office, 110 votes were in favor of the sales tax, while 13 votes were against it.
The Texas Tax Code authorizes cities to establish a special sales tax rate for the repair and maintenance of existing city streets. First approved by Levelland voters 16 years ago, this one-quarter percent sales tax must be reauthorized every four years.
The funds collected provide cost-effective rehabilitation and preventive maintenance of public streets within the city limits of Levelland. The goal is to improve mobility and maintain roadways to prevent deterioration and costly rebuilds. Common uses of the maintenance sales tax are asphalt overlay, reclamation, crack seal, curb repair and pothole repair.
This tax is assessed on all taxable sales in the City of Levelland and is paid by every shopper, meaning visitors in town for special events will pay the sales tax on purchases they make in Levelland. Unlike ad valorem taxes that are linked to the value of a citizen’s property, this tax is shared by all those who commute and visit the City of Levelland.
Even though it is approved, the current sales and use tax rate does not increase. This proposition reauthorizes the current collection of the onequarter percent sales and use tax for street maintenance and repair. On a $100 taxable purchase, the street maintenance sales tax will result in sales tax of 25 cents.
Based on Internal Revenue Service estimates, a family of four with an annual income of $50,000 will pay approximately $38 per year toward street maintenance sales tax.
First presented by city staff in January, the message sent has been the reiteration that the tax is nothing new and has been voted on multiple times and has been a long-standing benefit to the community according to City of Levelland Mayor Barbra Pinner.