Editorial

Cape Girardeau looking for financial answers

When the Cape Girardeau City Council meets Monday night, it will -- based on the agenda put together last week -- discuss the possibility of asking taxpayers for help with funding for equipment at the fire department. That discussion possibly will also extend to similar needs at the police department.

Under consideration will be putting a tax to benefit the fire department on the April ballot. New revenue for the police department also may come up.

Without knowing the details of what will be discussed or what the council ultimately will decide to do about funding needs at the fire and police departments, it is much too early to say whether voters are likely to go along with any tax plan. But the time has come to renew serious discussion about what the city's most urgent needs are and how to meet those needs.

It has been eight months since Cape Girardeau voters turned down a package of tax increases and fees that would have addressed the needs at the fire and police departments, along with sewer projects and a water park to replace the aging swimming pool at Capaha Park. Voters last April sent a pretty strong message that they hadn't been convinced of the needs for more taxes and fees -- and perhaps thought including a water park in the package went beyond meeting urgent needs.

For well over a year, officials inside City Hall and citizens who served on a finance task force have concluded that the most pressing issues are fire and police facilities and equipment along with pay for all city employees. Those issues have not gone away. Indeed, recent reports from the police department, for example, indicate the pay problem is worse.

Cape Girardeau's voters, who ultimately would foot the bill for any extra spending or pay raises, have indicated repeatedly that they are willing to pay more when a real need is adequately demonstrated. How to best convince voters this time surely will be part of Monday night's discussion -- provided council members can't think of any other way to raise city employees' pay and purchase expensive equipment such as fire trucks.

It can also be hoped that anything resembling a frill will not be part of the council's deliberations. Any plan to raise taxes simply won't pass muster if voters aren't convinced there is both a need and no other funding choice.

While current economic trends, including a strong holiday retail-sales season, indicate the city will benefit eventually from increased sales-tax receipts, that extra revenue isn't likely to be enough to cover some of the big-ticket items needed by the fire and police departments.

A strong case will have to be made for every bit of additional spending, if the council seeks any tax increase. Firefighters and police officers are confident they can do that.

If they are successful, voters in April will give their approval. But there are lots of questions to be answered before any voting takes place.

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