ST. CLOUD - The St. Cloud city council has approved putting a half-cent sales tax extension on the November ballot, and what that specific question will be.

St. Cloud voters will be asked to extend the current half-cent sales tax for another 20 years - from 2019 through 2038.

The voter-approved tax has been in existence since 2003, and is set to expire in 2018.

If the voters approve the extension, $10 million will go toward regional parks, $4 million to the Regional Community and Aquatics Center, and $4 million to expand the St. Cloud Regional Airport. The remaining money collected in St. Cloud will be left to spend on St. Cloud projects, such as transportation projects.

All residents in all six St. Cloud metro area cities are expected to be asked to approve similar ballot questions.

St. Cloud is expected to collect nearly $159 million during the life of the tax. The total taxes collected from all area cities is expected to be over $291 million.

The existing half-cent sales tax has been used to pay for road projects like 9th Avenue, the Highway 23 bridge, and on University Avenue. It's also been used for parks and trails in Eastman Park, the Gardens Greenhouse, River Bluffs Park, and the Beaver Island Trail. The money has also been used to expand the airport, and build the St. Cloud Public Library.

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