(WBIR-Maryville) Voters in Maryville hit the polls Tuesday to vote overwhelmingly to raise the city's sales tax.
The sales tax will increase by half a percent, moving the rate from 9.25% to 9.75%.
With all precincts reports, 1,802 votes were cast in favor of the increase, while 954 voted against it.
In September, the Maryville City Council unanimously called for a referendum to put the proposed sales tax increase on the Dec. 10th ballot.
City Manager Greg McClain told 10News that not raising property taxes in five years or the local option sales tax since 1980 have come at a price.
"We knew we were doing that, hoping the economy would turn around and that revenues would begin to come in, but that continues to be sluggish. What we find is having catastrophic failures in some of our key equipment," McClain said in an August interview.
The increase will provide Maryville about $2.5 million each year. Half of the money will fund city projects, like repairs needed at John Sevier Park. The other half will go to the schools.
