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Beginning today, Webster County consumers will see a slightly higher sales tax.

Rates on items subjected to sales tax have increased from 6.5 to 7 percent - or 7 cents on every dollar spent.

The increase is brought about by a voter-approved 1 percent local option sales tax. The new tax replaces a one-half percent measure that formally expired Tuesday.

Of the 7 cents, 5 cents goes to the state. A statewide sales tax to fund improvements to schools, which went into effect in July 2008, accounts for the remaining 1 cent.

The local option sales tax was ratified in most of the county, including the city of Fort Dodge, in November 2008.

However, voters in the towns of Badger and Stratford, as well as the unincorporated areas of the county, initially rejected the measure, an outcome county officials blamed in part on a lack of information.

This prompted a March 3 special election in the holdout areas, in which the tax passed by a margin of more than 90 percent - though voter turnout was around 7 percent. Had the measure not passed in March, only the areas that approved the tax in November 2008 would have received the revenue.

That would have translated into the loss of millions of dollars in improvements to roads and other infrastructure, said Webster County Engineer Randy Will.

Under the revenue purpose statement approved by voters, Webster County will spend 50 percent of sales tax revenues on roads and bridges, with the other 50 percent going toward maintaining, constructing and equipping other county-owned property.

As such, county roads stand to gain more than $800,000 per year, according to Will.

On March 31, the county approved bids for five road projects to be financed by sales tax revenues.

Those projects include replacing functionally obsolete bridges on Kansas Avenue, 235th Street, 250th Street, 370th Street and National Avenue.

"Without that $800,000, we wouldn't be doing those projects," Will said.

The road work is slated to begin by the end of July, Will said.

Fort Dodge will see approximately $3 million in street improvements funded through the local option sales tax this fiscal year, said City Engineer Chad Schaeffer.

On June 22, Hovey Construction Inc., of Fort Dodge, was awarded a $1,988,937.60 contract to rebuild the following streets:

- Eighth Avenue North between Forest Avenue and 15th Street.

- Ninth Avenue North between Forest Avenue and 15th Street.

- 10th Avenue North between Forest Avenue and 15th Street.

- 13th Street between Seventh and 11th Avenues North.

Additionally, a $585,000 hot mix asphalt resurfacing project, primarily affecting streets near Hillcrest Elementary School in northwestern Fort Dodge, is currently under way, Schaeffer said.

Local option sales tax funds will also be used on the 32nd Street project between Fifth Avenue South and 10th Avenue North, he said.

Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net