Considering COVID-19 and the long ballot, Arlington sales tax boost won a landslide

Heading into Election Day, you may have wondered if voters worried about an ongoing pandemic and concerns over their financial security in an uncertain economy would support proposals on their ballots to increase taxes.

And that would be understandable, especially if people viewed the proposed tax increases as being for purposes that could wait for a more stable economy.

Added to that was the fact that these local proposals were on a ballot along with contests for president, Congress, the Texas Legislature and state judicial offices.

That meant far more voters would participate than in city and school elections traditionally held in the spring, so predicting the outcome was much harder.

Even with all those uncertainties, Arlington voters provided a landslide victory for the proposal to raise the city’s sales tax by one-quarter of a cent to fund the town’s fledgling Economic Development Corporation.

Doing so will produce more than $17 million annually to make the city more competitive in attracting corporate investment and job creation in the community. That number will grow along with retail sales and as the city’s entertainment industry recovers from the restrictions brought on by COVID-19.

It also has the potential to throw a lifeline to small and minority-owned businesses struggling to survive the loss of revenue occasioned by the effects of the virus.

A survey done before the beginning of the campaign began with the question of whether voters would support a quarter-cent sales tax increase for economic development. The majority response was negative.

Follow-up questions probed deeper into the purpose and benefits of the additional revenue and reminded voters that half of all city sales taxes collected in Arlington are being paid by people who live somewhere else. It’s the central benefit of being a major visitor and tourism destination and having millions of people show up annually to watch Major League Baseball and professional football games.

The campaign to promote approval of the sales tax increase did a good job of explaining to voters how the city would benefit if they were willing to pay something in the range of $15 a year that the higher sales tax would cost them.

By the time votes were counted, the measure passed with more than 71,000 votes in favor and about 58,000 opposed – a winning margin that exceeded 55 percent of the total votes cast. That’s a landslide in any election.

The Arlington school district had a tougher sell. Its proposal was for an increase in property taxes – probably the most complained about of all local taxes.

Its proposition would increase the average school tax bill by more than $160 annually. It would produce an additional $56 million in revenue that the school board said was needed to stay competitive in market pay for teachers and staff who provide support services for students.

It would also generate about $18 million in state aid matching the funds used for teacher salaries and instructional programs.

As of Thursday evening, the measure was passing by around 200 votes. A similar proposal in Fort Worth’s ISD did much better, winning 52 percent of the total vote there.

The message from voters in a time of worrisome troubles is that a majority of them look beyond the moment and, in doing so, ensure that better days lie ahead. And that’s an outcome that even those opposed to these proposals can come to appreciate.