Council to meet tonight with finance task force

The Cape Girardeau City Council will meet at 6 p.m. today at city hall with members of the Citizens Finance Task Force for further discussion on proposed tax hikes and the projects that would be funded by the increases.

The task force made a recommendation to the city council for a quarter-cent sales tax, the institution of a local use tax which would tax out-of-state purchases of more than $2,000, a stormwater utility fee and an extension of a 10-cent property tax.

The new taxes are estimated to bring in $4.1 million per year to fund operating expenses, equipment replacement, stormwater projects, a new fire station, a police station expansion and renovation and a family aquatic center to replace Capaha Pool.

City council members have questions for the task force including their reasoning behind recommending four separate taxes instead of one big increase in sales tax.

This meeting is open to the public.