Following months of passionate debate, the Friendswood City Council called for a pair of sales tax elections to be placed on the May ballot at its Feb. 1 meeting. Voters will decide on sales tax increases for street maintenance and economic development.

The ballot will feature two measures, one adding 3/8 of a cent to sales tax for street maintenance and repair and one increasing sales tax by 1/8 of a cent for economic development in the downtown district.

An ordinance to put a half-cent sales tax increase for street maintenance failed 4-3 before the council approved the two ballot measures. Council members Jim Hill, Patrick McGinnis and John Scott voted in favor of the additional sales tax revenue going entirely toward road repair.

“Every year at budget [discussions] for the last four or five years, streets always come in last,” Hill said.

While Council Member Billy Enochs hoped to dedicate a half-cent of sales tax toward road maintenance, he said he believed voters would not support it. Instead, he said the only additional funding for streets would come if the separate 1/8 cent went toward economic development. That measure was backed by the Friends of Downtown Friendswood Association citizen group, who had more than 10 members speak during the meeting’s public comment.

“Our streets are behind,” Enochs said. “We need this for the streets. What we cannot do is not draw anything for the streets, so begrudgingly, I’m not going to support the half-cent sales tax.”

Look for the full story in the February issue of Community Impact Newspaper Pearland | Friendswood.