Voters in Johnson County today are weighing a 1-percent local-option sales tax to pay for reconstruction in the wake of last year’s massive flood.

Just as in Linn County earlier this year, each community in Johnson County will make up its own mind on the virtues of the sales tax proposal, and only those communities that pass it will see their sales tax increased.  Funds generated by the tax will be distributed to communities that imposed it, divvied up based on population and property tax receipts.  (That would make Iowa City the largest beneficiary, followed by unincorporated Johnson County, which votes as one group, and Coralville.)

The Iowa City Press-Citizen has a good FAQ on the vote here.  John Deeth, who works for the Johnson County Auditor’s Office (which oversees elections), reports turnout of under 3 percent (2,467 votes) as of 11:00 a.m., and he predicts the final turnout will be greater than the sales tax referendum vote of 2007 but lower than the vote in 1999.