Working together

For more than 10 years, Jackson and Cape Girardeau city officials have worked hard to forge cooperative solutions to common concerns. Because of what may simply be miscommunication, some of those officials are beginning to wonder if the era of cooperation is over, thanks to recent comments about each city's interests in development around the new Interstate 55 interchange between Jackson's East Main Street and Cape Girardeau's LaSalle Avenue.

Now, more than ever, both cities need to continue to work together, even though officials in each city have a responsibility to look out for their own best interests. While this may, from time to time, appear to indicate a division, in reality frank discussions about some issues will reveal different approaches.

Because Southeast Missouri State University owns most of the property around the interchange (it used to be the university's demonstration farm), SEMO has taken the lead on coming up with a development plan. It appears that most commercial development will likely occur on the Cape Girardeau side of the interchange.

Earlier this year both cities tried to anticipate what might happen if Wal-Mart decided to put a new store near the interchange. The talk at the time indicated Wal-Mart might close its Jackson store, which produces a hefty portion of that city's sales-tax revenue. Legislators from both cities introduced a bill, which passed, that allows the cities to form a commercial district and share revenue.

Now it appears Wal-Mart's strategy is unlikely to result in a new store in Cape Girardeau, and Cape Girardeau officials are considering the long-term ramifications of revenue sharing. Statements made by both Jackson and Cape Girardeau officials in recent weeks have indicated something of a disconnect, at least on that issue.

There may be some disagreement now on how to proceed, but it's early in the game. There is no plan in place for development around the interchange. That's still in the works. As that plan is formulated it will be increasingly important for both cities to continue to work together. Even if agreements can't be found on every issue, there are still plenty of common problems that will benefit from a cooperative approach.