The success of Tuesday's sales tax vote in Des Moines and other shopping destinations like Altoona and West Des Moines should motivate the rest of Polk County to adopt the 1-cent increase, city officials said this week.

Voters in Alleman, Altoona, Des Moines, Pleasant Hill, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights overwhelmingly approved raising the sales tax from 6 cents to 7 cents for every $1 on taxable sales and services.

On July 1, those cities will join six others in Polk County that already charge the higher rate.

The 1-cent increase is expected to generate nearly $50 million in its first year that will be split among the cities for property tax relief and to pay for community projects.

"We don't get any of the revenue that the other cities will be getting now," Ankeny Mayor Gary Lorenz said.

Voters in Ankeny, Clive, Grimes, Johnston and Urbandale all shot down the sales tax increase in 2018. Those cities did not vote on the issues last week.

But residents living in those suburbs will now pay the higher tax when shopping in Des Moines and other cities where it was approved without benefiting from the revenue the tax generates.

"A lot of the purchases that you're doing are in those cities," Lorenz said.

Leaders in Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston and Clive all said they expect conversations to begin soon about bring the sales tax back before voters.

"I'd really like to see the Ankeny community support it," Lorenz said. "I think it's a win-win."

Gretchen Tegeler, president of the Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa, said she anticipates Tuesday's vote will cause a "domino effect," with other suburbs passing the sales tax.

"I expected that once the bigger retail centers passed it that we would see the other cities make the case," she said. "It's a bit different once they’re already paying for it in Des Moines, West Des Moines and Altoona."

Johnston City Administrator Jim Sanders said city leaders in the northern suburb were waiting to see the results of Tuesday's election before deciding whether to hold another vote. Like Lorenz, he said the fact that the other cities have now passed the tax will play a role in the decision.

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"A lot of our citizens work and shop in those areas and would be paying that tax," he said. "That weighs into what action we eventually take."

The earliest date that cities can hold another sales tax vote is Aug. 6, said Kevin Hall, a spokesman for the Iowa Secretary of State's Office.

Urbandale spokesman Derek Zarn said after talking with the city manager and council members Wednesday, he believes the city will pursue the sales tax later this year.

"I think in all likelihood if the council were to approve it, I don't think August would be an unrealistic time for it to hit the ballot," he said.

Clive City Manager Matt McQuillen said officials also are considering a sales tax vote later this year.

Portions of Clive and Urbandale in Dallas County already pay the higher tax. Dallas County approved a county-wide local-option sales tax in 2017.

Having two sales tax rates is a challenge for some service-based businesses that travel throughout metro. It will only become more difficult once the rate change takes effect in Des Moines and other cities.

"Our system doesn't allow us to have multiple sales taxes for different communities," said Chuck Gassmann, owner of Bell Brothers Heating and Air Conditioning. "It's a real problem."

He said he has been working with the software vendor to see what it can do, but the fix won't be free.

Sales tax breakdown

Voters in six Polk County cities approved a 1-cent sales tax increase that will take effect July 1. They will join six other cities in the county that already charge 7 cent for every $1 spent on sale taxable goods or services.

Those charging 7 cent starting July 1 are: Alleman, Altoona, Calrisle, Elkhart, Des Moines, Mitchellville, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Runnells, Sheldahl, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights.

Those charging 6 cents are: Ankeny, Bondurant, Clive, Granger, Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale and unincorporated Polk County.