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WEBVTT ON. DOWNTOWN IS ALL OVER OMAHA. >> A LITTLE EXTRA ON YOUR DINNER BILL IS STILL A BIG SUBJECT OF DEBATE. WITH THE MAYOR'S SUPPORT, THE CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO EXPAND THE RESTAURANT TAX TO FOOD TRUCKS. MAYOR JEAN STOLTSDS ERT SAYING, "IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITIES TO MAKE SURE CITY ORDINANCES ARE ENFORCED AND APPLIED UNIFORMLY AND FAIRLY." BUT HEATH MELLO, STOTH ERT'S CHALLENGER IN MAY SAYS IT IS UNFAIR TO VOTERS. >> PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF POLITICIANS. >> HE SAYS STOTS ERT RAN ON IT'S PROMISE TO REDUCE TAX. >> REAPPEALING TAXES AND FOUR YEARS LATER NOT REPEAL THE TAXES. I THINK IT CREATES MORE SIN SOISM IN REGARDS TO CITY HALL. >> BUT THE TAX COMES WITH UNDENIABLE BENEFIT. $31 MILLION IN REVENUE IN 2016. A NUMBER COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN'T IGNORE. THAT'S WHY AIMEE MELTON VOAPTED FOR IT. >> IF I HAVE TO TAKE POLITICALRY, I DON'T DO THINGS FOUR POLITICS, I DO THINGS FOR THE RIGHT THING TO DO. >> SHE SAYS IT'S ABOUT LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD WHICH IS SOMETHING THE FOOD TRUCK ASSOCIATION SAYS THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN AGAINST. >> YOU ARE ABLE TO COMPETE FAIRLY AND GIVE THE CITIZENS OF

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The Omaha City Council voted Tuesday to expand the city's restaurant tax to food truck vendors. Council members Aimee Melton and Chris Jerram initially opposed the expansion and voted against it on September 30th. But the pair cited fairness as they voted Tuesday to reconsider the idea, and then voted for the expanded tax. "Either you eliminate the tax for everybody, all at once, or you apply it fairly. That's what I see as my option today," said Melton. Jerram called the restaurant tax the "golden goose" for Omaha's financial situation. According to Mayor Jean Stothert's office, the city of Omaha projects to end its fiscal year with a budget surplus of around $9 million. As of November 10th, restaurant tax revenue was running $1.6 million over budget. In a statement to KETV Newswatch 7, Mayor Jean Stothert expressed support of the council's decision: “The City Council's vote to apply the restaurant tax to food trucks is a matter of fairness. The Food Truck Association agrees this segment of the restaurant business should be added to the ordinance as the industry grows in Omaha. As Mayor, it is my responsibility to make sure city ordinances are enforced and applied uniformly and fairly." However Heath Mello, who will challenge Mayor Stothert for her seat in May, called the vote another broken promise from the Stothert administration. "I think anyone makes a bold statement, that they're going to run a campaign on repealing all these taxes, then four years later not repeal those taxes [...] unfortunately just creates more cynicism in regards to city hall," said Mello in a sit down interview. The tax is expected to generate $31 million for Omaha by the end of the year. Omaha's Food Truck Association is just happy to see the end of debate. "It's game on in downtown and in the Old Market for the food trucks," Kelly Keegan, Association President, said, "We're happy to be part of it." Both Jerram and Melton expressed a hope that the restaurant tax rate of 2.5% could be reduced when the Mayor presents a budget next year. "All of us need to help the Mayor in suggestions to the budget of how we can cut and where we can cut in order to cut this restaurant tax and continue to cut it every year as we move forward so we can eventually eliminated it," said Melton. The measure passed on a vote of 5-2. Council members Rich Pahls and Pete Festersen opposed it.