Downtown improvement district vote coming soon

For more than three years, residents, businesses and organizations have worked together to establish a downtown community improvement district in Cape Girardeau. Whether their longtime dream becomes a reality is up to a group of fewer than 200 people.

While the Cape Girardeau City Council approved the creation of the district in May, the power to approve tax levies within its boundaries rests with the registered voters.

Today a mail-in ballot will be distributed to voters living in the district, which includes a portion of Broadway and Water, Main and Spanish streets and portions of adjoining streets. Voters have about two weeks to consider whether they want to approve a half-cent sales tax and a property tax of $0.6709 per $100 assessed valuation.

Jim Maurer, chairman of the CID steering committee, said when the group previously was gathering signatures for a petition to take to the city for approval, they spoke to business and property owners in the area.

"Many of the voters are not property owners or business owners down there," he said. "They just live down there, so this is almost a different group -- the majority of them probably -- than the people we've been talking to about the petitions."

Maurer said communicating with the voters and answering questions has been a primary goal for the past week. Of the 180 people eligible to cast votes, he said many have questioned what purpose the CID will serve if the taxes are approved.

"We just keep saying the same thing we've said all along: It's clean, attractive and safe," Maurer said. "That's where the biggest part of the money's going to go."

Trash pickup, increased security and capital improvements have long been touted by supporters as the biggest improvements to be funded through the CID.

For voters in the district with lingering questions, Maurer said committee members will continue their efforts throughout the week to meet with more people. He said it's important people understand where the money will go and that a local board will retain control of the funds. He also stressed that the CID is not replacing the services provided by the city, but enhancing them.

The mail-in ballots are due Sept. 16. The Cape Girardeau County clerk's office will gather the votes and certify the results; the measures must be approved by at least 50 percent of the ballots cast to pass. Maurer did not have an exact date for when the official results would be available.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, MO