Courthouse needs, use tax discussed at First Friday Coffee event

Cape Girardeau County aimed its message about the need for a new courthouse at the local business community Friday and shared information on an upcoming use-tax ballot question at the chamber of commerce's monthly First Friday Coffee event.

During the past year, the county assigned a committee to look at its two aging courthouses -- in Cape Girardeau and Jackson -- and compare the ways those buildings are being used with current and future needs of the courts and county offices. A 1-percent use tax, if passed by voters, would pay for the bonds needed for building a new courthouse in Jackson to attach to the existing jail and upgrades to other facilities. The use-tax question will go on the April ballot.

The use tax could generate about $1 million per year to pay for the bonds, according to county estimates based on collections of a use tax in counties of comparable size and Missouri Department of Revenue collections.

County officials tout a use tax as a way not only to fix the problems with the county's facilities, but also to "level the playing field" for local businesses.

If the ballot question passes, the county can levy a 1-percent tax on out-of-state purchases of titled vehicles, including automobiles, boats and other recreational vehicles, along with purchases of other "tangible personal property" as defined by state statutes. Supporters of a use tax say they don't like that consumers can basically "shop around" in Missouri communities for things they want to buy, then drive over state lines and not have to pay sales tax.

"You probably get tired of people coming in and handling your [product] and saying, 'Yeah, that's the one I want,' and then walking out and buying it somewhere else out of state," Tracy said. "You are providing the showroom. That's a fairness issue and something we want to address."

The county has looked at several tax funding options for a new courthouse and facilities upgrades -- including a new sales tax, a new property tax and the use tax, Tracy said, and a use tax looks to be the best fit to solve the county's issues and the problems business owners face.

"Going into this, we realized that the community would rather not pay property taxes ... and we know that there's a level when our [state, county, city combined] sales tax gets so high that we start discouraging sales, and we don't want to do that," Tracy said. "The use tax will affect the least number of people and it will generate enough to do what we think we need to do."

Judge Benjamin Lewis gave examples of unsafe situations the courts face, such as prisoners being walked to the Jackson courthouse from the jail one block away on court days and people involved in domestic-abuse cases in proximity to each other with limited protection on court days in Cape Girardeau. Juries also experience small spaces for assembly, Lewis said, and the courthouses no longer fit the needs of the county.

"Over the last hundred years, both buildings have mostly been taken care of with a lick and a promise to do something better. We've finally got people looking at how serious our problems are, and we really appreciate it," he said.

Several people in attendance had questions for county officials -- one, what would be done with the two historic courthouses -- to which Tracy answered: The 1854 Common Pleas courthouse would be saved.

"The building's not going to be razed," Tracy said. "That's the bottom line."

He said the county will continue to have dialogue with the city of Cape Girardeau about an alternative purpose for the more than 160-year-old courthouse, which it owns with the city.

The First Friday Coffee event was at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau. Sponsors were Regional Brain & Spine and First Midwest Bank.

eragan@semissourian.com

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