SALES TAX WOULD PROVIDE NEW LEVEE

DUTCHTOWN, Mo. -- Bob Moss figures it won't take a lot of votes to pass a sales tax measure in Dutchtown.

The village of 104 people along Highway 25 southwest of Cape Girardeau has 50 registered voters.

The village board of trustees wants voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax. The trustees voted in June to put the tax issue on the Aug. 8 election ballot. A simple majority is needed for passage.

If approved, the Cape Girardeau County town's six businesses would begin levying the tax on Jan. 1. The money would help fund the town's share of the cost of constructing an earthen levee to keep back floodwaters along the Diversion Channel just south of Dutchtown.

The town has suffered flooding four times since 1973, said Moss, who owns one of the businesses.

The Corps of Engineers would construct the levee, which is expected to cost some $800,000. The town's share would be 5 percent or about $40,000, Moss said.

Moss operates Affordable Merchandise, which sells microwaves, clocks, lamps and other items in his Highway 25 store. The store sits across the road from Smith Stop, the lone convenience store in Dutchtown.

Moss served for a number of years on the town board and still sits in on meetings, which are held in his store.

He said residents he has talked with favor the tax. "We have to have our portion of the funds for the levee," said Moss.

Town officials say they don't know how much money the tax would raise.

"We don't have figures of what various businesses are generating," said Moss. "Most of them really don't want to tell."

But Moss said the tax shouldn't be a burden to Dutchtown businesses or their customers, many of whom live in surrounding communities.

Many motorists pass through Dutchtown on their way to and from Cape Girardeau on Highways 74 and 25. The proposed levee would benefit motorists, who otherwise must make long detours when floodwaters make the roads impassable.

Moss said the tax would remain in effect even after the levee is built. Dutchtown needs the tax to pay maintenance costs on the levee. The Little River Drainage District would handle the maintenance work under an agreement with Dutchtown.

The tax money might eventually be used to help fund construction of sewers. "We would all like to see sewers later on," said Moss.

Dutchtown incorporated on Feb. 2, 1998, with a view toward getting a flood-control levee.

The town has no paid employees. It receives its drinking water from the Gordonville water system.

H.W. "Bud" Obermann chairs the town board. Obermann said the tax measure makes sense.

"It is just common sense and economic sense," he said. "We have to have a guaranteed source of income."

Obermann said the sales tax could help Dutchtown secure government grants or loans for the levee project.

"We are drowning people gathering straws," he said.

Moss said flood protection is vital if Dutchtown is to grow.