(BELLMEAD, Texas) — Bellmead voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to raise the city's sales tax by a quarter cent, from 1 to 1.25 percent — a measure the City of Bellmead says could generate up to $1 million.
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I spoke with Mayor James Cleveland at the Bellmead City Hall to find out how and where that money would go.
Cleveland said a major concern is keeping property taxes under control, and he believes the sales tax increase is the answer.
"At the end of the day, if it doesn't pass, we still have to figure whether that'd be water rates going up, you know, our property tax going up. Right now, this is not gonna affect the property tax, by no means; if anything, it would help," Cleveland said.
The mayor said residents won't actually pay more, because the measure would replace a sales tax that expired on Oct. 1. However, voters will be deciding how that money is spent.
Currently, sales tax revenue is put into public works; this proposition would allow revenue to be added into the city's general fund.
"And by moving it, that allows us to allocate it to different areas within the city. So the full reconstruction of a street, or the services, you know, well, how come we can't hire somebody in the police department, public works, so forth, and so on, we can actually allocate that money toward that, to help that," Cleveland said.
Cleveland said the change would benefit both residents and the city.
"This is a way for the city to look at that, oh, we don't have to go up on this because we're generating from here. So it's a win for citizens as well as city," Cleveland said.
For more information on the proposed sales tax, click HERE.
