City council may amend wards to reflect growth

Mary E. Collins doesn't see a problem with a proposed boundary change for Cape Girardeau's six city wards that would push her from Ward 4 to Ward 1. It means that, if the council approves the change Monday night, her new councilman soon will be Frank Stoffregen instead of Hugh White.

"I don't write my councilman or call them up when I have a complaint," said the 71-year-old resident of 1514 Scott St. "I feel like, as long as I have some council person representing me, it'll be all right. I'm sure they're all dedicated."

The council, as it does after every census, will look at shifting the boundaries to accommodate changes in the population within each ward.

"We have to have an equal or as close to equal, within a slight variation, number of people within each ward," said Mayor Al Spradling III. "It's similar to what is done with congressional districts. It's pretty routine."

Most of the population increase occurred in Wards 4 and 6, the ones on the city's north and west edges. That means it was necessary to shift populations from these wards into Wards 1, 2, 3 and 5. City staff used year 2000 Census Bureau maps showing the population by census block to compile the new boundaries.

Cape Girardeau's official population is 35,367.

Using census data, the new boundaries reflect a population of about 5,894 people per ward. In fact, all of the wards are within 1 percent of that total. The timing of the change is important, a memo to the council says, because the filing deadlines for council and mayoral candidates will open Oct. 23.

Spradling said he has heard of no opposition to the proposed change in boundaries. He said it will have little or no effect on the average resident.

"The only way it's going to affect them is they will have a different council member to vote for," he said. "Or, if they have a complaint, they may have to contact a different council member. But that's not that big a deal anyway, because all council members respond to complaints."

Corrie Young, 30, who lives at 3012 Minutemen Way, said she didn't know the wards were changing. She lives in Ward 3 and may soon be in Ward 5.

"I guess it really doesn't affect us," she said. "I would not have a problem with the change. Just as long as people make themselves aware of it."

The council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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