Should I support the internet sales use tax?

In a recent letter to the editor, Gary Hill posed three questions that he would like to have answered prior to voting on Nov. 2. I applaud Gary's efforts to educate not only himself, but the rest of our citizens as well about an issue that has generated a lot of confusion. I was also happy to see that he pointed out that the "use tax" is in fact an "internet sales tax." To answer the questions posed by Gary:

• Is there a need for additional revenue to help maintain programs and services provided by the city?

The city is experiencing ongoing increases in their cost for things such as fuel, building materials, asphalt and competitive wages needed to retain and attract quality employees. These are all part of the city's operating budget that is funded by sales tax revenue. Historically, sales tax revenue has increased at the same pace as expenses, but with the recent and ongoing increase in online purchases, which currently generate no sales tax for the city, revenue growth has not kept up with the growth in expenses -- and the gap continues to widen. If we don't approve the internet sales use tax on Nov. 2, the city will still maintain essential services such as fire and police protection, but may have to reduce ancillary services that we currently take for granted such as leaf pickup, curbside recycling, pothole repairs and plowing of side streets when it snows.

• How will the use tax personally affect me?

In the short term, the additional revenue generated through collection of the internet sales use tax will allow the city to continue to provide things such as new lights for dark streets, new sidewalks for our kids to walk to school on, quicker response times from fully staffed and trained police and fire departments and adequately maintained sewers that will handle heavy rain runoff. In the long term, it means economic growth for our city. Companies looking for a new location or individuals looking for a new home look at well maintained infrastructure and a vibrant quality of life when choosing a city to move to. I have always been proud to call Cape my home. I want to see a Cape that continues to grow and provide the high quality of life that makes it such a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.

• Will revenue generated by the use tax be spent on programs and services that serve the greatest number of citizens in the city?

That's exactly what it will be spent on -- preservation of the quality of our police, fire, trash and infrastructure such as streets and sewers. While there are specific funding mechanisms for capital improvements, the city relies on general revenue to fund services and maintenance.

The gap between the city's operating expenses and the sales tax revenue that funds it will only continue to grow if we do not pass an internet sales use tax on Nov. 2. I encourage all citizens of Cape to join me in voting YES on Nov. 2 so we can preserve the quality of life that we tend to take for granted in the city that I am proud to call my home.

Danny Essner, of Cape Girardeau, is treasurer of Citizens for Cape.