LB840 will be renewed for another decade as voters approved the measure in a mail-in election Dec. 12.
The vote on the Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act passed with 1,370 votes in favor and 304 against.
The Act allows the City of Seward to set aside $150,000 per year for the next 10 years toward economic development projects.
This is the third time voters have approved the fund, first enacting it in 2003 and renewing it in 2013.
Seward County Clerk and Election Commissioner Sherry Schweitzer said voter turnout equaled about 38%, higher than the 30% she predicted.
“I thought 38% was pretty good,” she said, though it was slightly lower than other local mail-in elections in recent years.
Jonathan Jank, president and CEO of the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership, which endorsed the measure, said he was pleased with the result.
“We’re grateful for all of the support we received from business and community leaders to help tell that story,” he said – the story of how LB840 dollars have benefitted the community.
“The economic development program is so critically important to help small businesses grow,” Jank said “The voters came out in full support for this.”
LB840 loans and grants are awarded through an application process and are typically set up to cycle back into the LB840 Fund as the loans are paid back, giving additional opportunities for other businesses.
