Ballot measure would improve Jackson police, fire services

A proposed ballot measure in Jackson would increase the sales tax by one-half of 1 cent, and would allow the city to hire more officers to the police force -- a move sorely needed, Mayor Dwain Hahs said.

The ballot measure, which would add a permanent one-half cent sales tax, would improve police and fire services in Jackson, Hahs said.

The measure was passed by the board of aldermen during its regular meeting Monday.

"If you look at our facilities, the police have been there 40 years, and we have outgrown it both on the fire and police sides," Hahs said by phone Monday before the meeting.

"Right now, we're the lowest sales-tax city in Southeast Missouri, and after this measure, that would continue," Hahs added.

Over time, Hahs said, if the measure passes in April, the plan is to add four to five patrol officers, which would allow the city's police force to ensure at least three officers on duty at all times.

"We have the lowest number of officers per thousand residents than anyone else in Southeast Missouri, and we're lower than the state average as well," Hahs said.

Having fewer than three officers on duty on a shift extends response times and, Hahs said, while the county sheriff's department does provide backup, it's not an ideal situation.

The city also plans to add a school-resource officer to the existing staff of three, Hahs said.

"Jackson R-2 school district has 11 buildings," Hahs said. "It was natural to add another [SRO] as we go in the next school year."

Hahs said the resource officer also would help with the parochial schools in Jackson, but the SROs are definitely stationed in the public schools.

A fire-department training officer also would be added, Hahs said.

"We're getting to the size where we would like to have a dedicated training officer," he said.

With new employees come new technology they'll need to carry, Hahs said, along with other equipment and training.

In the case of new police officers, more vehicles also would have to be added, Hahs said, and that also would be funded out of the public-safety sales tax.

The public-safety sales tax would not fund the planned police station, Hahs said.

"We will pay for the police station out of our reserves," he said. "The public-safety sales tax will be used to make sure we have ongoing police-station staffing, and over time, new technology, infrastructure and maintenance."

Paying for the proposed $7 million police station out of reserve funds will save about $2.5 million in interest, Hahs said.

Initially, the proposed cost of the new police station was about $8 million but, Hahs said, the price tag dropped by $1 million after an agreement with Cape Girardeau County.

The county will provide jail facilities, Hahs said, and the county and city will collaborate on a dispatch center. Those actions will drive down the city's police-station cost, Hahs said.

The planned police station also will include municipal-court facilities, Hahs said.

This isn't a high monetary cost item, Hahs said, but as it is now, the municipal court is held in the board of aldermen chambers in city hall.

That's not adequate, Hahs said.

Parking facilities don't have a high enough capacity, Hahs said.

And there's a safety concern as well.

"Having court in a public building, it wasn't really designed for that," Hahs said.

The new police station will allow the police to move out of the current station at the junction of South Hope Street and East Jackson Boulevard, which the fire department shares, Hahs said.

The fire department then will take over the entire building, Hahs said, and the space will have some reconstruction done.

Hahs said the plan is to use the building next door to the main fire station as training, office and additional bunking space.

"Right now, we do not have separate male and female bunks," Hahs said, and additional space would give the department more freedom in hiring fire personnel.

"I think we've been prudent with the sales tax in Jackson, and this will keep us at as low a rate as feasible to continue to operate our city and keep things safe," Hahs said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

101 Court St., Jackson, Mo.