SCOTT CITY VOTERS MAY DECIDE SALES TAX AGAIN

SCOTT CITY -- Whether to impose a half-cent sales tax to fund city street repairs again appears to be going before voters in Scott City.

The Scott City Council plans to hold a special meeting Wednesday to approve an ordinance that would put the tax on the Aug. 6 ballot.

Council members discussed the measure at their regular meeting Monday.

"It looks like we're going to have to go for it again," said Mayor Shirley Young. "We've got to have some way to pay for repairing these streets."

Voters defeated the tax rate increase in April by just 33 votes, with 316 voting against the tax and 284 voting in favor of it. The measure passed in one of the city's three wards. Only 22 percent of voters turned out for the election.

At that time, Young blamed the measure's defeat on a combination of low voter turnout and a misunderstanding among voters about what the approximately $100,000 generated annually by the tax would have paid for.

Some thought tax money would not be restricted to just street repairs and improvements, she said.

This time around, city officials plan to initiate an "education" campaign for the tax, the mayor said. She said they will try to educate voters on not only the need for the tax but that it will only be spent on street repairs.

Young said council members believe that given a second chance the tax may pass.

The measure would bring the city's sales tax rate to 6.225 percent and would be in effect for five years.

Young said she will assure citizens that, if passed, funds generated from the tax will be used only to pay for upgrading the city's streets.

The special meeting will be held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

In other business, a representative from the Scott City Post Office told council members that the office needs the city's help to upgrade the city's house-numbering system.

Postmaster Theon Schlosser said postal auditors will inspect the city's numbering system soon in preparation of the region's switch to an automated postal system.

He said postal officials expect the postal system in Southeast Missouri to be completely automated by 1995.

Schlosser said in several areas of the city, houses, vacant buildings and mobile home parks have no numbering system, or one that is not consistent.

Councilman John Smith, who is in charge of the effort to correct the city's numbering system, said he completed a house-number check of the entire city months ago. Smith's figures are in the process of being rechecked and will be ready to hand over to postal officials soon, said the mayor.

Council members also ordered an Overland man who owns property in Scott City to demolish a house on the property within 30 days. The house, owned by Paul Probst, is vacant and does not meet city safety and health codes, said Fire Chief Les Crump. It is at the northwest corner of Olive and Eighth streets.

Crump told council members that the house has deteriorated to the point that it is "a detriment to the city." He said weeds and grass at the residence have been allowed to grow to more than five feet tall.

Probst, who attended the meeting, said: "Everything he (Crump) has said is true. I just can't maintain it anymore."

Probst said he would willingly comply with the city's request to demolish the house.