Grand Island, Neb. — After being approved by the State Legislature, conducting a special election and implementing an economic development program for it, the City of Grand Island is now collecting taxes for a first-of-its-kind Good Life District.
The overall tax burden on both citizens and visitors to Grand Island remains unchanged. Instead, 2.75% of the Nebraska state sales tax is going away, and is now being collected in Grand Island as a 2.75% occupation tax. This results in a 0% change into what consumers will be paying within the boundaries of the Good Life District.
With the addition of the Good Life District occupation tax, there will be no changes to any of the other existing occupation taxes already in place. A look at the new tax breakdown can be found in our additional attachment. Furthermore, future development of the Good Life District will be open for all businesses to apply. Any development seeking incentives in the in the Good Life District shall submit a package of deliverables to the City which meets minimum submittal standards as a “GLD Development Proposal.”
“We’re going to make sure that there are opportunities for citizens to tell the city council what their vision is,” Grand Island City Administrator Laura McAloon said. “How we do housing, and how we do anything else – we’ll really want to hear the public’s input on that.”
With the tax money now being collected, McAloon also says it brings a sense of community pride.
“I want them to see Grand Island being the first in the state to make it happen,” McAloon added. “I grew up here, and there’s a little chip on your shoulder about us being the third or fourth city, but with this we’re going to be first. We’re going to be ahead of anybody else.”
