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Seward County pitches half-cent sales tax for roads; commissioners present 10‑year plan and cost estimates
Summary
County leaders presented road and bridge costs, pilot treatments and a proposed half-cent sales tax on the Nov. ballot designed to raise about $2 million annually for roads. Officials said rising material and equipment costs and heavier truck traffic motivate the measure.
Seward County officials outlined a proposed half-cent county sales tax at an Aug. 14 town hall, saying the ballot measure — if approved in November — would pay for a 10‑year road-and-bridge plan and generate roughly $2 million a year.
The proposal: county staff and commissioners described the ballot question as a half-cent local option sales tax dedicated to road and bridge work. "The half cent sales tax, the funds will only be used for road and bridge work in Seward County," Mark Johnson, the county’s road and bridge director, said during the presentation.
Why it matters: Road and bridge officials laid out specific costs residents will recognize. Examples presented at the meeting included a 28‑mile milling and overlay project that cost $5,867,121 (about $209,000 per mile), chip seal at roughly $25,000 per mile, crack sealing at $5,000 per mile, and a 24‑inch culvert at approximately $960. Officials said the county recently paid $453,000 to rebuild four miles of Road O and stressed rising costs: an overlay per mile that cost $125,000 in 2020 had risen by 68% by the most recent projects.
County rationale and revenue options
Commissioners and staff said the measure spreads cost across purchasers and visitors as well as residents; they noted the county receives relatively small state motor-fuel distributions (about $250,000 per year) which will not fund major improvements. The county used a bond for a recent $6 million overlay; debt service on that bond is about $773,000 annually and the sales-tax revenues would help repay that obligation while funding maintenance.
Pilot projects and maintenance strategy
Road and bridge staff described pilot treatments intended to extend service life on high-traffic gravel routes — including PermaZyme and Base 1 products — and reported a state agency interest in the county’s experiments. The county reported a large volume of truck traffic related to local agriculture and processing facilities and said heavier and larger equipment increases wear.
Public comments and framing
Speakers at the meeting voiced both support and concern. A Lawson‑area resident said the measure would spread costs to visitors and help preserve road safety; other attendees urged more transparency on prior spending decisions. Commissioners emphasized the measure is limited by language on the ballot to road-and-bridge work only and said revenue would be deposited in a special highway fund and could not be used for other purposes.
Ending
If approved, county staff said the half-cent tax would generate about $2 million per year and be applied to a 10‑year plan for maintenance and capital projects; the county will provide details publicly before the Nov. election but will not advocate for a particular vote at town halls. The measure requires voter approval to take effect.
