Council closes public hearing and delays vote on continuing 'Lincoln on the Move' sales tax

The Lincoln City Council heard more than two hours of testimony on Jan. 27 about whether to place a question on the April 8 ballot to continue the quarter‑cent Lincoln on the Move sales tax. The council closed the public hearing and voted 7–0 to delay action until its Feb. 3 meeting.

Elizabeth Elliott, director of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, told the council the proposal would continue an existing quarter‑cent sales tax and would not increase taxes for Lincoln households. "This continuation would not create any new cost for Lincoln taxpayers," Elliott said during her presentation. She said an eight‑year renewal would preserve a funding stream that has delivered about $102 million in street work over the current six‑year program and would produce about $140 million more over eight years if voters approve it.

Supporters at the hearing argued the program accelerated repairs, lowered long‑term construction costs by allowing projects to be built sooner and helped economic development. Jeanne McClure, executive director…