City finances- An opportunity for details

For months, city finances have been a major topic in Cape Girardeau.

A committee of city employees examined the situation in detail. When its report came out several weeks ago, the committee described the need for an additional $6 million a year in revenue -- enough to fund ongoing expenses like salary increases and to pay for major capital projects like a new fire station.

To pay for all this, the committee recommended a three-quarter-cent increase in the city sales tax. The committee hoped the sales-tax issue would be on the ballot earlier this month. But it was evident to the city council that voters were in no mood to approve tax increases, and that there wouldn't be enough time to conduct a campaign to convince voters otherwise.

Task force takes another look

Taking advantage of the delay, Mayor Jay Knudtson appointed a task force of citizens to look at the situation.

That task force, making its recommendations nearly two weeks ago, took a different approach. It said the city needed $2.4 million a year for unspecified personnel and equipment plus $15.3 million for capital projects to be paid for over the next 20 years.

Mayor Knudtson's analysis of the task force's deliberations and recommendations, published below, demonstrates a desire to take advantage of a cross-section of Cape Girardeau residents to underscore some of the city's needs.

In his response to questions from the Southeast Missourian, the mayor indicates there will be plenty of time to delve into some of the crucial details lacking from the task force's report, although how that would have happened if the recommended $3.9 million a year in tax and fee increases had been placed on the November ballot -- a possibility when the task force was given its 30-day deadline -- isn't clear.

Now that the task force has been asked to reconvene, there is an opportunity to develop those details in a way that will explain why certain needs deserve special attention and require Cape Girardeau's residents to pay more in taxes and fees.

For example, the task force can make a case for spending $2.4 million for personnel and equipment: how much in raises, how many new employees and for what purpose, which pieces of equipment and at what cost.

There is likely to be little disagreement with either the task force or the mayor that a new fire station, more room for the police station and stormwater projects deserve to be high-priority items.

With the extra time to deliberate, the task force can put together convincing arguments that will help persuade voters when it comes time to vote on a funding plan.

Case for aquatic center needs to be made

It will be more difficult, however, for the task force to make a case for a $5 million family aquatic center. The mayor convincingly details some of the benefits as well as the need to replace the aging pool at Capaha Park. But most voters aren't likely to regard the aquatic center as a high-priority necessity.

If the benefits of an aquatic center warrant consideration now, it would be helpful to the mayor and council to have a strong justification from the task force.

Specifics and justification: Those are two crucial items the task force can now provide.