Coming Sunday - Cape Girardeau schools set to raise taxes

Cape Girardeau School District superintendent Mark Bowles will recommend a 17-cent tax increase at Monday night's school board meeting.

The recommendation comes after two years of considering a similar increase and $1.2 million in budget cuts that began last January.

The board officially sets the levy every August and may, under state law, raise it by as much as 17 cents without voter approval because of a voluntary rollback the district has taken in recent years.

Every one cent that is added to the levy generates around $45,000 in tax revenue.

For example, the average $100,000 homeowner in Cape Girardeau would pay approximately $32.30 more in property taxes each year if the school board votes in favor of the the full 17-cent increase.

To find out more about what this tax levy increase means for Cape Girardeau's schools and for the community, look for a special report in Sunday's edition of the Southeast Missourian.

-- Southeast Missourian