PERRY COUNTY VOTERS WILL DECIDE FATE OF SALES TAX

PERRYVILLE -- On Nov. 3, Perry County voters will decide the fate of a one-fourth cent sales tax for paving heavily traveled gravel roads.

If approved, the tax would be levied for five years, beginning April 1, county officials said.

A simple majority is needed for passage.

There are also four contested county races on the election ballot. Sheriff Franklin "Dutch" Schmidt, who is completing his 12th year in office, is seeking re-election to another four-year term. He is opposed by Perryville Police Chief Gary J. Schaaf, a Republican.

The contest for county commissioner of the western district pits Republican Michael Yamnitz against Democrat Nancy Smith. The term of office is two years.

Yamnitz defeated incumbent Carl Leuckel in the August primary.

Assessor Larry W. White is seeking re-election to a third, four-year term. He is opposed by Democrat Donald A. Welker.

John Bert, a Republican, is seeking re-election to a second, four-year term as public administrator. He is opposed by Rueben Hotop.

As to the sales tax measure, Melvin Moldenhauer, county commissioner for the eastern district, said the tax is essential to funding needed road improvements.

The measure was placed on the ballot by the county commissioners.

"We just thought that was a fair way to do it," said Moldenhauer.

"A sales tax, I feel, is a fair tax because it doesn't really all come from the people in the area. There is a lot of tax that comes from out of the area," he explained.

With a sales tax, the financial burden is not placed solely on the property owners of Perry County, he said.

"I think it would be a great improvement for the county and the people out in the county," said Moldenhauer.

Currently, many gravel, county roads are heavily traveled, causing both dust and maintenance problems, he said.

The tax is expected to generate about $300,000 annually for five years. Most of it would go for asphalt paving work, but some of it would be set aside for future maintenance of the improved roads, he said.

Moldenhauer estimated the tax could fund the asphalt paving of about five to 10 miles of county roads annually during the next five years. Such paving, he said, is expensive, costing $25,000 to $30,000 a mile.

"In five years, I would say, we would eliminate 30 to 40 percent of the trouble spots."

If the program proves successful, county voters might be asked to consider extending the tax, Moldenhauer said.

"We are not chipping and sealing. In my opinion that is not the way to go," he said. "We are going with a heavy overlay."

Moldenhauer said the county currently has a "chip and seal" program, in which the county does the work, with residents along the roads paying for the cost of the oil and future maintenance.

But he said "chip and seal" roads require more maintenance than those paved with a heavy overlay of asphalt.

By paving heavily traveled county roads with an asphalt overlay, future road maintenance costs will be reduced, said Moldenhauer.

That's important, he said, considering Perry County has some 600 miles of county roads.

The work, which would be done by county highway crews, would also involving widening some sections of county roads.

"These roads are narrow in spots," he explained. "They have to be brought up to state standards."

Moldenhauer said the commissioners have yet to decide which roads will be paved. He said that will be determined largely by the amount of traffic. "We are going to run a traffic survey on them."

He said the paving work will be done on roads throughout the county, not just those around Perryville. "We have a lot of roads out on the outer ends of both sides of the county that are highly traveled."