Voters have opportunity to decide parks, stormwater tax

Cape Girardeau city officials are polishing the details of a tax proposal that will go before voters in April.

The list is a long one that would create new parks, upgrade old ones, add amenities and fix drainage problems within the city.

According to recent reporting by Mark Bliss, the three-eighths-cent sales tax will generate the money needed, along with issuance of bonds, to fund $27.1 million in parks projects and $10.6 million in stormwater projects. The tax also would provide more than $1.22 million annually for parks and stormwater operations and maintenance, according to a document outlining the tax plan.

The city council decided recently to put the issue on the April ballot. Design plans and construction schedules haven't been developed, so voters don't yet know which projects would be completed first. The city doesn't yet know where some of the major projects would be built, including the aquatic center. The city and the school district may work together on the project.

We do know that most of the projects will be funded on a pay-as-you-go basis, which we view as a positive. As Mayor Harry Rediger pointed out, limiting the number of projects that would be funded with bonds means more projects can be funded overall and less tax money has to be spent retiring debt.

Rediger said, "If you pay as you go, you get more bang for the buck."

Now the city must begin in earnest convincing voters these projects are needed and will improve the quality of life in the city enough to justify the tax.

The plan has been months in the making, as the city has sought community input and adjusted plans accordingly. Voters must evaluate whether to continue this sale tax and how important parks are to quality of life. Stormwater issues continue to be important to many voters as well. For its part, the list touches many sections of the city, and those with different interests.

Here is the list of projects proposed by the city:

Parks projects

New aquatics complex, $6 million

New youth ball field complex, $4.5 million

Capaha Park improvements, $2.5 million

Cape Splash Phase 3, $2 million

Parks equipment/fleet, $2 million

Arena Park improvements, $1.5 million

Shawnee Parks sports complex renovations, $1.5 million

Trail improvements, $1.5 million

Parking overlays, $1 million

Osage Centre enhancements, $800,000

Two new south Cape Girardeau neighborhood parks, $800,000

Shawnee Park Center addition, $650,000

Red Star neighborhood park, $500,000

Cape Rock Park improvements, $500,000

Golf course enhancements, $350,000

New restrooms $350,000

City cemeteries improvements, $250,000

River Heritage Museum renovation, $200,000

Fort D Park improvements, $200,000

Stormwater projects

Good Hope Watershed, $3.5 million

Arena Creek Watershed, $3.08 million

Lisa Branch Watershed, $1.79 million

Capaha Watershed, $1.18 million

Scivally Branch Watershed, $461,000

C-4 (Camellia area) Ditch Watershed, $383,000

Trail creek bank projects, $160,000

Airport drainage project, $85,000