All voters registered in Douglas County will have the opportunity to answer three ballot questions Tuesday that, if passed, would raise the Lawrence sales tax from 7.300 percent to 7.850 percent.

Ballot questions two and three address funding and maintenance costs for the Lawrence public transit system, known as the T. These would raise the sales tax by 0.2 percent and 0.005 percent, respectively. Ballot question one, which has been less talked about, provides funding mainly for the maintenance of city streets and fire truck replacements. This would increase the sales tax by 0.3 percent.

If questions two and three do not pass, the city will have no public transportation system, and the planned merger with the KU bus system cannot take place, Lawrence city manager David Corliss said.

“If the transportation items fail, I think we will be challenged to ever have a transit system in Lawrence because we do not have money budgeted next year for transportation,” Corliss said.

Opponents to a sales tax increase to completely fund the bus system have said the current system is flawed. Jim Mullins, field director for Americans for Prosperity, said the transit system should better provide for people who need it the most, such as the disabled or people with low incomes.

“What we’re saying is we can’t afford a fixed-route system,” Mullins said. “But the city commission didn’t give us that option. They say it’s either all or nothing.”

A majority of citizens said street maintenance should be a top priority for the city, according to a 2007 city survey. The proposed 0.3 percent sales tax would generate approximately $3.95 million annually to take care of roads and other city projects. Corliss said funding for street maintenance is very important to members of the community.

“Most citizens believe we do a good job in fixing our streets,” Corliss said. “I think they’re concerned we don’t have enough money to do it.”

One of the biggest differences between those in favor of the sales taxes and those against them is how the increased cost would affect people with lower incomes, including KU students.

A sales tax increase would be better than a property tax increase because it doesn’t affect rent costs, Corliss said. Additionally, someone from outside the city spends 30 cents of every dollar for the sales tax, so not just people from Lawrence would be paying.

Mullins disagreed and said increased sales taxes encourage people to buy items in an area with a lower sales tax, and they negatively affect people who don’t have very much money to begin with.

“Sales taxes drive businesses away,” Mullins said. “They’re regressive. They hurt the people at fixed incomes or low incomes.”

Corliss said KU students should be concerned with the outcome of these ballot questions because they recognize the need a strong quality of living in their community.

“Most KU students know that transportation is an important issue in a growing community,” Corliss said. “It’s really an investment in the future of the community.”

Aren Ryan, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore, said he will vote for the sales tax proposals because he said he thinks public transit benefits the community. Without the T, many citizens would have no transportation.

“I take a mentally challenged guy out to dinner on Tuesday, and all of him and his friends, that’s his main source of transportation,” Ryan said. “They wouldn’t have any jobs at all because they wouldn’t have any way to get to work.”

Mullins said students should be aware of where their money is going before voting for these sales tax proposals. He said the city government should be more fiscally prudent and spend budgeted money on the biggest priorities, instead of focusing on other spending.

“Everything that you buy is going to go up a half a cent,” Mullins said. “So basically what you’re doing is taking money out of your pocket and giving it to an inefficient system.”

Bekkah Sperry, Atlanta sophomore, said she hardly knows anything about the sales tax proposals, but she wants to know more about them before voting. She said she didn’t know if the bus system would actually improve with the sales tax.

“I guess I’d have to know what that money would go toward,” Sperry said.

Jared Bickford, Olathe freshman, said many students either don’t vote in Douglas County or don’t pay attention to local politics, so they don’t know about the proposals. He said he is in favor of the sales tax proposal, and the increased sales tax rate wouldn’t negatively affect people.

“It may have some impact, but overall, its impact is not going to overly affect the life of someone,” Bickford said. “I think it’s kind of the benefit to the community outweighs the consequences.”