COUNTY EYES I-66 BILL, PROJECT AS DEAD ISSUE

Cape Girardeau County got a bill last week asking for $9,200 to promote the I-66 coast-to-coast highway.

The county received the bill even though commissioners in February said the county would no longer donate public funds to the project. The county has no plans to pay the bill.

Cape Girardeau County is one of about 200 counties and cities along the route asked to contribute their "fair share" to the project.

It wasn't clear how cities or counties were chosen to receive the letters. Jackson, which hasn't paid into the project in two years, didn't get a letter. Neither did Cape Girardeau, which authorized $5,000 this year for the project.

"If we get a bill, we won't pay it," said Steve Wilson, Jackson city manager.

In May, Walt Wildman announced the invoices would be sent as a way to raise money for the project, which is faltering financially. As of May 1, the 6-year-old lobbying effort had $20,000 in bills and just $184 in the bank.

The letter and invoice to the Cape Girardeau County Commission were dated June 23. The invoice looks like a bill, with $9,200 listed as the amount due. The amount is calculated at 15 cents per person in the county. Cape Girardeau County has a population of 61,633.

The letter says: "The enclosed invoice is what we feel would be your county's fair share."

Commissioner Joe Gambill said, "Everyone is pronouncing the project dead, but he (Wildman) is trying to generate revenue to keep it alive. We will not be a part of that."

Wildman was out of town Thursday.

On the cover letter explaining the invoice, John Mehner was listed as the person to contact with questions. Mehner is president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Mehner was surprised that his name was on the letter. He knew that invoices would be sent but wasn't part of the decision-making process.

"Obviously I wasn't prepared to answer questions," Mehner said.

Mehner is listed as the I-66 task force representative, but he has never attended a meeting.

The task force representative had been Harry Rediger, but Rediger resigned that job when he was appointed to the Cape Girardeau Board of Education last spring.

The chamber is on record in support of the project, so Mehner talked to Wildman earlier this week about his name appearing on the letter.

"The task force didn't set the rates," Mehner said. "The executive committee did. Walt told me it was just an arbitrary figure -- 15 cents per person."

Delphine Operle, administrative assist to the mayor in Paducah, Ky., said that city received the request for funds, but Paducah officials didn't mind the format. "We thought, they're sure trying," Operle said.

Paducah Mayor Gerry Montgomery has been a supporter of the project. But Operle didn't know if Paducah would contribute because of this request.

The city of Springfield paid $9,000 in February to help fund a feasibility study for the I-66 project. Springfield didn't receive one of the new invoices.

I-66 executive committee members are Virgil Elfrink of Cape Girardeau, president; Gene Penzel of Jackson, vice president; Ernie Beussink of Cape Girardeau, secretary-treasurer; and non-officers Benny Eason of Sikeston and Gene Rhodes of Cape Girardeau.