In a special election held Tuesday, registered voters living within the corporate limits of Superior approved renewing the community’s economic development plan and increasing the city sales tax from 1 percent to 1.5 percent.

For the first time in the history of Superior, the voters were asked to vote by mail. Ballots were to be returned to the county clerk’s office in Nelson by 4:30 Tuesday. State law prohibited having a collection place in Superior and required the voters provide the postage to return the ballots which was about $1.25 per ballot.

Based upon the names of registered voters listed on the official roll, a total of 1,318 ballots were mailed by the county clerk from the Superior post office to voters within the city. Of these, 565 were returned for a 43 percent return.

Voters were asked to support both an economic development plan and the collection of a sales tax. An affirmative vote was needed on both before either could proceed. Both questions passed.

The economic development plan which will receive at least $75,000 from the city sales tax, perhaps more, was approved by 325 voters and opposed by 237. Based upon past history, the economic development effort will likely receive more than $75,000 per year.

The request to extend the current 1 percent sales tax for another 15 years and to increase the rate from 1 percent to 1.5 percent also met with voter approval though by a smaller margin than did the development plan.

A total of 306 voters approved the sales tax measure while it was opposed by 257.

The margin of approval for the development plan was 57.8 percent.

The sales tax plan was approved by 54.5 percent of the voters.

Had the sales tax plan not been approved, the city’s authority to collect the 1 percent sales tax would have soon expired.

The city has collected a sales tax for nearly 30 years. The plan has been approved twice by the voters and rejected once.

The city sales tax has provided matching funds for a number of community grants and the purchase of equipment for the police, fire and street departments.