More than 80 percent of Horseshoe Bay voters supported the 1/4 of a cent increase in the local sales tax earmarked for street maintenance in unofficial returns Tuesday night.

Horseshoe Bay residents in Llano County voted in favor of the proposition 443 to 108, or 80.4 to 19.6 percent. Thirty-nine votes were in favor versus 4 against, or 90.7 to 9.3 percent, in the Burnet County portion of the city from Tuesday’s balloting.

That puts the new rate in Horseshoe Bay to 1 3/4 percent, up from 1 1/2 percent.

In Bertram, voters re-approved the same ¼-cent tax for street repairs, already included in its 1 3/4 percent local sales tax. The vote was 46 in favor to 15 against, or 75.41 to 24.59 percent.

Voters in Horseshoe Bay will need to re-approve the amount designated to street maintenance in four years under state law. Bertram did so this year.

The Horseshoe Bay City Council sent the proposal to elections in August after taking over 122 miles of street from the city’s Property Owners Association in April.

For the full story see Wednesday's Llano County Journal or Friday's Highlander.