Cape City Council readies for 'road show'

The Cape Girardeau City Council gave its blessing Monday to what Mayor Jay Knudtson calls the city's "road show" to win voter approval of four tax issues on the April ballot.

Knudtson said some revisions will be made to the 15-minute PowerPoint presentation called "Invest 4 Cape" before its first formal presentation, which is to Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce members at the First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center later this week.

"This is still a draft," he told council members at the study session before the regular meeting at City Hall.

The tax measures would pay operating expenses, replace equipment, address stormwater problems, build a new $1.8 million fire station, expand and renovate the police station at a cost of $5 million and build a water park at a cost of $6.5 million.

Councilman Jay Purcell said the water park and stormwater projects are the keys to winning voter approval of the tax measures: a quarter-cent sales tax increase, a new local use tax on out-of-state purchases of $2,000 or more, a 10-cent property tax extension and a stormwater utility fee that would cost residential households from $1.75 to $5.25 per month depending on square footage.

Knudtson said a water park to replace the aging Capaha Pool probably won't be built unless all four tax issues pass. City officials said it's last on the list of funding priorities.

Citizens Finance Task Force leaders at the study session urged city officials to push the four issues as a single package and not dwell on what would happen if voters don't approve all four. The 12-member task force developed the tax proposals.

"I don't have that in my vocabulary," said Melvin Gateley, a former councilman who co-chaired the group.

City officials said covering operating expenses is the top priority. The stormwater utility fee, however, must be used solely for stormwater management and projects, officials said.

That's spelled out in the presentation.

Gateley said a privately funded campaign involving the task force is critical to getting out the vote and securing passage of the tax issues. Knudtson urged task force members to draw up campaign plans and present those to city officials.

Nancy Jernigan, task force co-chairwoman, told council members that any campaign will need donations. "We will have to hit businesses," she said.

City manager Michael Miller said the city will publicize the tax issues in its newsletter to city residents but legally can't spend tax dollars telling people to vote for the measures.

Knudtson said he and Miller also plan to make at least 35 presentations to civic groups in advance of the April 8 election.

The PowerPoint presentation explains the city's need for increased funding, steps the city has taken to control costs, funding priorities, stormwater projects that would be funded and information about the proposed new fire station, police station expansion and family water park.

The mayor said two months is sufficient time to educate voters on the tax issues, which would cost the average household less than $100 per year.

Knudtson said the low price tag is a big selling point. "It's the thing we are hanging our hat on," he said at the study session.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123