Cape Chamber supports tax extension

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors has voted to support an upcoming quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax (CIST) ballot issue on Aug. 6.

The chamber board's vote to support the tax measure took place July 12 but was not announced until Wednesday when the chamber issued a news release about its action.

The question on the Aug. 6 ballot will be whether to renew one of two quarter-cent CISTs approved by voters in the 1990s that is scheduled to expire at the end of this year.

Over the years, those CISTs have paid for water treatment plant renovations and system improvements and helped eliminate combined sewer and stormwater pipes throughout the city.

According to the chamber, a renewed CIST would extend through 2034 and generate nearly $36 million over the next 15 years.

Chamber and Cape Girardeau city officials say half of the tax revenue, or an estimated $18 million, would to toward improvement of the city's water system including upgrades and replacement of galvanized iron water lines.

Approximately $4,250,000 would be earmarked for a new terminal and tower at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport and $7.5 million would be used to support an enhanced street repair program.

The balance of the CIST revenue, approximately $6 million, would go toward preservation and renovation of the Common Pleas Courthouse and Courthouse Annex which city leaders plan to convert into a new location for the Cape Girardeau City Hall. The city's casino revenue would fund the balance of the estimated $12 million price tag for the courthouse and annex renovations.

"A yes vote on the CIST renewal provides our community with the resources for necessary maintenance and improvements resulting in a better quality of life," according to the chamber's news release.