CITY PROPERTY TAX HEARING SET

City officials will decide tonight just how much Cape Girardeau residents will have to shell out when they pay their property tax bill.

Residents may voice their opinions on the proposed city tax rate at the Cape Girardeau City Council's 7:30 meeting at City Hall.

The proposal of 65 cents per $100 of assessed value is the same as last year. Residential property is assessed at 19 percent of its actual value and for each $100 of that value, residents pay 65 cents to the city. The state limits how much the city can tax, and because property value has gone up with inflation, the city is not allowed to increase the rate.

"The property value has increased close to the inflation rate," said John Richbourg, city finance director. "As long as the increase is in line with the inflation rate, there won't be much of a change."

In the last 10 years, the city tax has gone from 58 cents to 65 cents per $100 of assessed value -- a 12 percent increase. The total property tax levy for Cape Girardeau residents is $4.64 per $100 of assessed value and includes city, county, state and school taxes. The total levy has increased by 15 percent in the last 10 years.

"We want people to realize that the city tax is a very small segment of the property tax bill," said Michael Miller, city manager.

The city tax levy is broken down into 32 cents for the general revenue fund, 6 cents for the health fund, 17 cents for the library fund and 10 cents for debt service. The entire revenue projection for the tax is slightly more than $2 million -- a small portion of the city's $34 million budget.

"It is a very small part of the budget," said Mayor Al Spradling III. "We have tried to keep it low to keep people living in the community."

Spradling said the city levy is relatively low compared to some of the surrounding communities.

The city portion of the property tax in Jackson comes to 99 cents per $100 of assessed value for people living in the pre-1965 city map. Those living outside that area do not pay the library tax and pay 87 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The Cape Girardeau council also will consider a measure to allow the northeast corner of Bertling and Sprigg streets to be rezoned to allow for multi-family housing. Place Collegiate Properties plans to build eight student housing facilities on 11 acres of land.

Spradling said so far he has heard no complaints from residents about the plan, which makes the proposal more attractive.

Property Tax Rates

Cape Girardeau property tax rates direct and overlapping governments for the last 10 years.

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

City tax rate:

City revenue: .30 .30 .30 .30 .31 .32 .32 .32 .33 .32

Debt service: .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10

Health: .04 .04 .04 .04 .04 .05 .05 .05 .06 .06

Library: .14 .14 .14 .14 .15 .16 .16 .16 .17 .17

Total: .58 .58 .58 .58 .60 .63 .63 .63 .66 .65

School district: 2.92 2.84 2.83 2.85 2.87 2.87 2.86 2.88 2.88 3.38

County tax rates:

Road/bridge: .25 .25 .25 .26 .26 .27 .27 .28 .28 .27

Mental health: .07 .07 .07 .07 .07 .07 .07 .08 .08 .08

Sheltered workshop: .07 .07 .07 .07 .07 .07 .07 .08 .08 .08

Senior citizen: - - - .05 .05 .05 .05 .05 .05 .05

County health: .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10 .10

Total: .49 .49 .49 .55 .55 .56 .56 .59 .59 .58

State: .03 .03 .03 .03 .03 .03 .03 .03 .03 .03

Grand total: 4.02 3.94 3.93 4.01 4.05 4.09 4.08 4.13 4.16 4.64

Note: All tax rates are figured as the rate per $100 of assessed valuation of personal property.

Source: Cape Girardeau Finance Department