DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Voters in Des Moines and five other Polk County cities have approved raising the sales tax to 7 cents from 6 cents on the dollar spent. More than 70 percent of Des Moines voters said yes to the measure Tuesday, and it also easily passed in Alleman, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights. The increase goes into effect July 1.

Three attempts for the increase have failed since 1996, most recently in March 2018. A majority of Des Moines voters backed the measure a year ago, but it failed because a majority of suburban voters rejected it. In May the Iowa Legislature canceled a state rule that required cities with contiguous borders to vote together on local option sales tax issues.