The Wording
Special City Of Omaha Election
Establishing A Good Life District Economic Development Program
A vote “FOR” establishing a Good Life District Economic Development Program shall grant the City of Omaha the authority to create such programs which allow the use of revenue collected within a Good Life District, but does not permit the City to appropriate property taxes to such program or to appropriate local option sales and use tax or occupation tax sourced from outside the Good Life District to such Program.
A vote “AGAINST” will not allow the City to establish such program.
Shall the City of Omaha be authorized to establish a Good Life District Economic Development Program for any area within the City which is included in a Good Life District established pursuant to the Good Life Transformational Projects Act, and shall the City be authorized to appropriate the local sources of revenue collected within such Good Life District Program area, which may include local option sales and use taxes and occupation taxes, established pursuant to and as permitted by the Good Life District Economic Development Act?
( ) For
( ) Against
Our Explanation
Establishing A Good Life District Economic Development Program
Good Life Districts, passed by NE Legislature in 2023, and
amended in 2024, are areas which receive tax incentives to support private businesses with development costs. In a Good Life District, the state collects only half its 5.5% sales tax rate, freeing an extra 2.75% of tax income for the private developers to use to expand. There will be no sales tax increase
or decrease for the consumer. If the state and the city approve a Good Life District, the next step is for local voters to decide whether the district gets established.
Good Life Districts are meant to invest in the following goals: keep Nebraskans spending within the state; create jobs for Nebraskans; and bring in out-of-state visitors. To qualify, a developer must show that their project will bring in at least 20% of income from out-of-state visitors. They must generate a minimum amount of revenue and create a minimum number of new jobs (with the amount depending on the size of the municipality or locality in which the District is located). Districts are encouraged to include hotels, housing, restaurants, shopping (especially retailers who have not previously operated in Nebraska), and youth sports complexes.
Avenue One at 192nd and West Dodge Road in Omaha has been approved by the state and the city to be a Good Life District. It will include shopping, dining, housing (including senior housing), hotels, and workplaces. Avenue One is already under development; Omaha voters must decide whether they want half of state sales tax dollars generated in Avenue One to go toward its expansion.
- A vote FOR means that a Good Life District will be established, giving Avenue One 2.75% of tax revenue to use for further development.
- A vote AGAINST means that a Good Life District will not be established, requiring Avenue One to use other funding for all its expansion.
