Revenue sharing unlikely, says Cape mayor

The lovefest is over.

Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Southeast Missouri State University and Cape Girardeau County spent years negotiating how to share the cost of a new interchange on Interstate 55. In 2005, that cooperation was rewarded when federal lawmakers earmarked enough money to more than cover the $8.5 million price tag.

When ground was broken on the interchange, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones called it "a lovefest."

This past spring, as Wal Mart-connected developer THF Realty delved deeper into planning the use for the university foundation's 400 acres at the interchange, area legislators won a provision in state law allowing cities to share tax revenue from developments on their borders. At that time, rumors that Wal-Mart would close the Jackson store -- a major source of city revenue -- were rampant.

But allowing cities to share and actually sharing the revenue are two different things, Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson said.

"In my mind, I see no set of circumstances that will allow a reasonable revenue sharing when this goes in," Knudtson said.

The spirit of cooperation isn't dead, but the ardor has cooled. "The lovefest at that level has served its purpose," Knudtson said. "Now we need to acknowledge that we are two different communities and negotiate and execute development in a way we feel benefits our communities."

Knudtson's views came as a surprise to Jackson officials. "We have certainly had discussions about this revenue sharing," said Jackson city administrator Jim Roach.

But Jackson is willing to accept that Cape Girardeau may not want to cooperate as closely in the future, Roach said. "If there is a big-picture project that requires all the governmental entities to work as a team, we will get together and work that out," he said. "If it is everyone for themselves, we are OK with that, too."

Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr said unwillingness to share revenue now could have an impact if Jackson is asked to support a major development with tax revenue.

"I am a little disappointed, but there's nothing I can do about it," she said. "If we're not going to share revenue, then I'm not sure what Mayor Knudtson feels we should do. If we're not going to use that regional concept and not going to do shared revenue from that whole region, that puts a different light on those things."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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