Benton County
Half-Cent
Sales Tax Renewal
April 8, 2025 Election
On April 8, 2025, Benton County voters will go to the polls to decide whether to extend the existing one-half of one percent Capital Improvement Sales Tax to finance road and bridge improvements as well as finance other capital improvement needs of the County. The tax will also provide funds for the Special Road Districts of the County to do their own local improvements. The Capital Improvements Sales Tax was originally passed in 1990 with renewals in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010. In 2010, the renewal passed by 73%. The tax renewal in 2015 extended the collection period for 10 years instead of the 5 years that had been in place since 1990. The last election conducted on April 7, 2015, demonstrated that the County residents supported the tax with a 68% pass rate. Since this is a sales tax, all visitors to Benton County help generate revenue from this tax.
The Capital Improvement Sales Tax is essential to maintain roads, bridges, and other facilities in the County. Without this tax, the revenues of the County will not be able to meet the demands to maintain and improve the road system and obtain the equipment and facilities to provide the services expected by citizens. Benton County currently has 535 miles of road to maintain, of which approximately 116 miles are asphalt. The asphalt and gravel needed to maintain all County roads is funded heavily by the Capital Improvements Sales Tax. In addition to road maintenance, all bridges within the County must be maintained. Unfortunately, many of these bridges are so deteriorated, that some roads are closed until replacement bridges can be funded and constructed.
The one-half of one percent sales tax revenues are divided between Benton County and the Special Road Districts of Cole Camp, Ionia and Brandon based on the number of miles they maintain. Benton County allocates 60% of the revenue to maintenance of roads and the remaining 40% is allocated to the General Fund. This portion of the revenue is used to repair and make improvements to County facilities and provide equipment such as computers and vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office to provide patrol of the rural areas of the County.
For the year ending 2024, the Capital Improvements Sales Tax funded $302,000.00 for vehicles and equipment for the Sheriff’s Office. The two Road Districts utilized $991,000.00 for asphalt overlay material and gravel purchases. The three Special Road Districts received revenues totaling $96,000.00.
The ability of Benton County to continue these projects and services is based heavily on the continuation of the one-half of one percent sales tax that is provided not only by the residents of the County, but also by the tourists that visit our County and travel our County roads. Tourism traffic contributes to the deterioration of our roads. This tax will spread the financial responsibility and lessen the burden on the taxpayers within the County. Since this referendum is for an extension, it will not be an increase over what is presently in place.
