City of Arlington, Texas - Press Releases - Archives - July 2002

Arlington voters will go to the polls in September to determine a new funding source for ongoing street repair and maintenance.

The Arlington City Council has called a special sales tax election. Election day is Saturday, Sept. 14. The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Early voting begins Wednesday, Aug. 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If approved, one-quarter of one percent of the City’s sales tax will be dedicated to the repair and maintenance of existing, aging streets. Under state law, the City of Arlington has one cent available for local project initiatives. The current sales tax is 7.25 percent.

If approved, the sales tax would increase to 7.5 percent. In 2001, Arlington’s sales tax rate dropped a half-cent with the early pay off of The Ballpark in Arlington.

If voters authorize the sales tax for street repair on September 14, tax collections would begin in Jan. 2003. The City of Arlington expects to receive the first sales tax check for street maintenance in March 2003.

Arlington city officials estimate the quarter-cent sales tax for streets to generate approximately $10.7 million annually. The tax would expire every four years. Voter approval is required if additional sales tax dollars are to be collected for ongoing street repair projects.

City officials say the street maintenance fee currently being collected on the water bill from residential and commercial property owners would be discontinued Dec. 31, 2002.

According to City Secretary Cindy Kemp, there are 189,052 registered voters in Arlington.

"FOR" or "AGAINST" a proposition adopting a local sales and use tax in the City of Arlington at the rate of one-fourth of one percent to provide revenue for the maintenance and repair of municipal streets.

Early voting is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following days:
Wednesday through Friday, August 28-30
Tuesday through Saturday, Sept. 3-7
Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 9 and 10

Early voting locations in Arlington:
Bob Duncan Community Center - 2800 S. Center St., 76014
Cliff Nelson Recreation Center - 4600 Bardin Road, 76017
Kooken Education Center - 423 N. Center St., 76011
Sherrod Elementary School - 2626 Lincoln Drive, 76006
Turning Point High School - 5618 W. Arkansas Lane, 76016

Election Day is Saturday, September 14
The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.