Fire tax vote moved to November ballot

Cape Girardeau voters now will determine the fate of a fire tax during the November election rather than the August one.

Gov. Jay Nixon announced over the weekend that five of the eight measures approved by the General Assembly -- including a three-quarter-cent transportation tax -- would appear on the August ballot, prompting the Cape Girardeau City Council to vote in a special meeting Tuesday to place the fire tax vote on the November ballot.

This required the council to repeal the ordinance approved at its May 5 meeting to call the election in

August.

The council initially gathered Tuesday to call a special general election Aug. 5 to replace Ward 3 councilman Trent Summers, who resigned April 1 after moving out of the ward.

But after the governor's recent announcement of the scheduled ballot issues, the council amended its agenda to include discussion of scheduling the fire tax vote.

City manager Scott Meyer said the city came to the decision because it has wanted the city's fire tax and the state's transportation tax to be determined in separate elections to give voters the opportunity to gather adequate information about each issue.

Meyer said the city was not able to confirm with the governor's office the schedule of the transportation tax and other ballot issues until Tuesday, which did not allow time for the typical 24-hour notice of the change in the agenda. The council was able to repeal the ordinance setting the election in August in three emergency readings, because the city charter allows for such election issues to be voted on in one sitting.

Although an exact date has not yet been determined, Meyer said the city soon will begin the process of calling the fire tax election in November.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.