Auburn Residents to Have Say in Additional Half-Cent Local Sales and Use Tax At May 9 Special Election

During the Feb. 13 meeting, Auburn City Council passed a resolution to place a half-cent sales tax question on a May 9 special election ballot. The State of Nebraska currently assesses a 5.5 percent sales and use tax rate and the City of Auburn collects a 1 percent local sales and use tax. The ballot proposes raising the local sales tax amount to be collected to 1.5 percent with the money to go towards the construction and operation of a community center/sports facility and other permitted uses.

The City of Auburn earlier sought input from the public on what facility( ies) the citizens would like to have available. At that time, a wish list of community needs was compiled with two of the most popular projects being a performing arts center and a community center/sports facility. A performing arts center is estimated to cost more than twice what the latter would and has been determined to not be financially feasible at this time. The proposed community center/ sports facility is estimated to cost $3 million, although no firm bids have been received yet.

Mayor Scott Kudrna described two drawings included in the meeting packet and available for visitors to see about the proposed facility. One conceptional plan layout for the 18,367 square foot facility indicated that it could seat 504 people with 63 six-foot round tables each seating eight plus bleachers on one side seating 436 more. Also, a lecture style arrangement would seat 840 people plus 436 in the bleachers, according to the drawings prepared for JEO Architecture Inc

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