JACKSON TRANSPORTATION TAX HARD AT WORK

JACKSON -- Jackson's half-cent transportation sales tax continues to provide benefits in the form of street upgradings and improvements, said Mayor Paul Sander.

By the end of the year, the city will have spent more than $500,000 on street improvements and repairs in the commercial and residential areas of town.

Sander said the latest projects with transportation sales tax money is the fall asphalt-overlay work and repaving of Greensferry Road. Both were completed last month.

A major street-repaving project that began Monday on West Adams will be paid for with transportation sales tax funds.

"This was probably one of the most extensive fall asphalt-overlay seasons we've had in Jackson for a long time," the mayor said Tuesday. "The weather had a lot to do with it. We were able to complete all of the overlay work before the end of the season."

More than 2,000 tons of asphalt were used to overlay approximately 4,730 feet of roadway, including a road into the municipal band shell. In addition, three city-owned parking lots, including two in the uptown business district, were repaved paved with a new asphalt overlay. Total cost of the overlay work was approximately $72,000.

Sander said other streets that got a asphalt overlays this year include:

- Mary Street from North High to Hubble Creek bridge.

- West Adams from South Union to Daisy.

- Sunset from North High to Brookview.

- The intersection of Lakewood and Ridge Road.

- Ridge Road from Oak Hill to Hillwood.

- The parking lot on the northeast intersection of South Missouri and West Adams.

- The parking lot north of the 100 block of East Adams.

- The Parking lot next to Stoverink Carpet and Interiors.

The mayor said another major street improvement this year was realignment and paving of 820 feet of Greensferry Road from August to Clark Street at a cost of $41,944.

Sander said the project was bid by the contractor at $90,500 because it was believed buried rock would have to be removed for the street realignment. There was no rock, and the city saved $48,556 on the project.

"That money will go back into the street improvement fund for the 1994 season," Sander said.

Sander said of completion of the Greensferry Road project: "I'm real tickled for the people who live on or near Greensferry Road. They finally have a smooth street from start to finish."

The last major street improvement this year is repaving of the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of West Adams and repaving of the 100 blocks of north and south Missouri on each side of West Adams.

The project began Tuesday, and is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year. Sander said old pavement is being removed and new concrete pavement poured.

The half-cent sales tax for street improvements was approved by Jackson voters in January 1988. The tax money is used to pay for street upgrades and repairs. Streets in new subdivisions are paid for by the developer and property owners, the mayor said.

Since voters approved the tax in 1988, it generated approximately $1.3 million through Dec. 31. The tax brings in about $400,000 annually.

"The revenue has increased each year since the tax was approved," the mayor said. "The first year it produced around $330,000. It has grown each year as the city has grown. I'm like everybody else: I don't like taxes, but with the transportation tax you can see where the money is going because you're driving over the improvements each day."

There is no sunset clause on the tax, which means the city will continue to have a dependable source of revenue for street improvements. By law, the money must be spent for transportation improvements.

City Administrator Carl Talley said the transportation sales tax frees up money in the city's budget for other things. Talley said money that would normally be used for street repairs and improvements can be used for other capitol improvements.

Sander said that each winter the board of aldermen prepares a prioritized list of street improvements for the next year.

"We'll start working on that list soon, and we're asking for public input to let us know about streets in town that need attention for the 1994 asphalt overlay season," he said. "Just contact your alderman, city hall, or myself, and we'll put it on the list to be considered with the rest of the projects."