Lenoir City council authorizes May referendum to raise sales tax to fund Habitat repairs and parks upkeep

Lenoir City council voted Dec. 29 to send a proposed local-option sales-and-use tax increase to the May ballot that, if approved by voters, would raise the city's sales tax from 2.00% to 2.75% and dedicate $1,000,000 a year to a housing preservation fund administered by Habitat for Humanity and to upgrades for the city's Parks & Recreation system.

The ordinance the council approved to put before voters specifies a recurring annual allocation for a Housing and Community Preservation Fund and identifies priorities including critical home repairs for seniors, veterans and individuals with disabilities and facility and maintenance improvements for parks. Council members recorded a roll-call vote on the ordinance: McNabb voted no; Walker, Kennedy, Shields, Brandon and Simsel voted yes.

The question followed a lengthy public-comment period and presentations by Habitat representatives and Parks & Recreation staff. A Lenoir City business owner…