Officials beat drum for transportation tax renewal

Cape Girardeau city officials and business leaders on Friday encouraged support for renewing a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects.

The pay-as-you go, five-year tax that generates revenue for the city's Transportation Trust Fund, or TTF, will go before voters in August.

At Friday's monthly event hosted by the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, Trae Bertrand, a representative of the public information committee on TTF, and assistant city manager Molly Hood gave a presentation on TTF projects that would be funded if the tax is approved.

The tax has been approved by voters for street and sidewalk construction, maintenance and repair every five years since 1995. The current plan, called TTF 5, focuses primarily on renovating existing infrastructure, including improvements for some heavily traveled city routes.

Improvements to Lexington Avenue, Independence Street between Gordonville Road and Caruthers Avenue, and portions of Sprigg Street, Main Street and West End Boulevard are included in the city's plan, as are maintenance activities for many neighborhood streets. Hood said a new TTF will help the city address several paving issues.

Public input influenced more attention in the current plan going toward improving infrastructure rather than building new roads.

Bertrand, who also serves on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, praised the city's past use of TTF funds, noting past projects such as expanding Mount Auburn Road and the western part of Broadway into four-lane routes and improving the intersection of West End Boulevard and Independence Street relieved traffic congestion.

"I couldn't imagine where our city would be today without TTF," he said.

Mayor Harry Rediger asked the audience at Friday's event to help motivate the community to support the tax extension.

"In your circles, social circles, business circles, social media, suggest to your friends, neighbors and business acquaintances to vote on Aug. 4, and to vote for extending TTF 4 into TTF 5," Rediger said. "It's so important to our community."

John Mehner, the chamber's president and CEO, said the chamber's board of directors earlier last week unaminously voted to support the city's plan.

The First Friday Coffee event was held at Isle Casino Event Center. Business sponsors were The Rite Group and Murphy Business.

eragan@semissourian.com

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