Manhattan City commissioners on Tuesday will vote on adding a question to the general election ballot that would impose a general citywide retailers’ sales tax of 0.5% for street maintenance for 10 years.
The proposed 0.5% would replace the existing 0.2% to fund the street maintenance program. The 2016 sales tax will expire March 31, 2027. The new tax would take effect April 1, 2027 and is proposed to last 10 years through March 31, 2037.
City officials estimate the 0.5% sales tax rate would generate $8 million annually. In the first 5-year proposed plan, roughly $6 million of the $8 million (75%) generated is targeted toward reconstruction and repair of neighborhood streets. An estimated $2 million of the $8 million (25%) annually is recommended for the arterial and collector streets in Manhattan. City documents say this initial split of 75/25 is likely to shift as each 5-year proposed maintenance is evaluated and scheduled through 2037.
