Trustees send street sales & use tax to ballot

August 31, 2021--The Mead Board of Trustees unanimously approved moving forward with placing a single sales & use tax issue on the ballot for November. This additional 1% sales and use tax would generate approximately $2.9M in revenue for street maintenance. All revenue would be dedicated, in a separate fund, and none of the revenue generated from the tax would go into the general fund.

The Board of Trustees spent the last year analyzing the data and reviewing budget options related to streets. A major factor in their consideration of a sales and use tax increase was the 10-year forecast for streets. The Town of Mead currently has a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of 67 or “fair”. At the current budget, that PCI rating would fall to 47 or “nearly very poor” within 10 years.

Over the last few months, Trustees reached out to residents through mailers and most recently at the Open Forum. Mayor Colleen Whitlow explained, “We are dedicated to educating the residents on the current budget, town spending, and the significant costs associated with a thorough street maintenance plan. The longer we wait to address road conditions, the more costly it will become. The Board was diligent when considering the options and collectively we decided this was the only solution to preserving our streets. Now it’s in the hands of voters to decide if their streets are worth the extra 1% sales and use tax."

A one percent sales and use tax means that for every dollar spent in Mead, an additional 1 cent would be added in tax. The Town of Mead’s primary revenue source is sales and use tax, which is largely funded by those traveling through and living outside of Mead. Mail-in ballots are expected to be in resident hands as early as October, with election day on November 2. Supporters of street maintenance have formed a resident outreach committee and they plan to advocate for this tax measure.