Cape County voters give thumbs down to Prop K

Proposition K, the only local issue to appear on Tuesday's ballot, was soundly defeated by Cape Girardeau County voters.

The measure proposed that a quarter-of-a-cent tax be levied across the county to fund a gap in children's mental health services. Proponents said they believed the measure, which has seen success in other counties statewide, would allow local agencies to provide steady service to children and youths ages 19 and younger by creating a locally controlled fund and reducing dependency on unreliable state funding.

It was voted down by nearly 60 percent of the county.

Prop K initially was proposed by the Putting Kids First Coalition, which is made up of 13 organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Counseling Center and United Way of Southeast Missouri.

"The members of the Putting Kids First Coalition are very proud of our efforts to strengthen and support services to children in Cape Girardeau County," said a statement issued by the coalition. "We will continue to educate for increased awareness of the gaps in services and advocate to work toward sustainable solutions for those most vulnerable in our county -- our children. We invite those who care about these issues to join us in working toward a solution that can be beneficial to children in our community and thank all those involved to this point for supporting Putting Kids First and Prop K."

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641