SIKESTON CHAMBER SUPPORTS KEEPING TAX

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce gave its unanimous support to the renewal of Sikeston's one-quarter cent sales tax which goes before voters Tuesday.

The support, which came at Thursday's general membership meeting, followed Sikeston Mayor Bill Mitchell's presentation about the benefits the city has received from the tax during the past five years.

Explaining former city councils had received revenue sharing funds from the federal government, Mitchell said when this funding ended due to government cutbacks, the city suffered a shortfall in monies to use on capital assets and in other areas. "Fire hoses had holes, trucks didn't run, people were laid off because we didn't have the money," he said.

To remedy these problems, the city approved a one-quarter cent sales tax in 1994 to specifically meet capital development needs.

Mitchell said the improvements can be seen throughout the community and include additional equipment and vehicles for the Department of Public Safety, the ladder truck used to fight fires, a new fire station, a new street sweeper, softball fields and other park improvements. Also it has freed up other funds to enable the city to develop the Business, Education and Technical Park and the northern interchange project which is being completed through a cooperative effort with Scott County and Miner."Much of what you see today is beneficial outcome of this tax," said the mayor.

The renewal of the tax, he explained, would enable the city to provide upkeep for buildings and equipment and continue to improve facilities. Future needs include a new Department of Public Safety building and maintaining the on-going replacement program for equipment."We don't know what is coming but with the continuation of this tax, the options available to go forward will be more of a reality," he concluded. "We can be Sikeston, proud."A second vote by the Chamber membership during the monthly meeting brought an end to a 30-year tradition in the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce. The membership voted to dissolve the Women's Division of the Chamber, noting women are now fully integrated into all parts of the Chamber's activities. The change was requested by the Women's Division.

Robin Pace, chairman of the Chamber's Missouri Community Betterment Committee, presented the city's fourth-place plaque from the recent MCB competition.