SIKESTON, MINER VOTERS APPROVE TOURISM TAX

A 4-percent tourism tax that is estimated to bring in between $225,000 to $300,000 to the economies of Sikeston and Miner passed in both cities in Tuesday's election.

Miner voters accepted the tax, which will increase the cost of renting a hotel room by 4 cents on the dollar and should have little impact on local taxpayers. Ninety-five of 147 votes cast, 64.62 percent, supported the measure.

Sikeston's returns were a little closer, with the tax passing by 56.5 percent of the vote, winning 1,112 of the 1,968 votes cast.

Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce president Steve McPheeter said the tax will fuel a cooperative effort within the county to increase tourism within the region. The SACC has proposed a regional tourism group, called the Miner/Sikeston Tourism Council, that will utilize the funds to advertise the tourist venues in the county and develop additional tourist attractions.

"This would enable us to create more events," McPheeter said. "We have more than 650 hotel rooms in the area. And with the factory outlet stores in Miner and Sikeston, we already have people stopping and spending the night."

Tourism is the second largest industry in Missouri, accounting for 11 percent of the state's jobs. Tourist brought in approximately $20.6 million dollars to Scott County in 1994, according to the U.S. Travel Center.

Mary Miller, the director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor's Bureau, said Cape's tourism tax has been "extremely successful for the community."

"The original intent of the tourism tax back in 1984 was to retire the city's bond indebtedness on the Show Me Center," Miller said. "We were able to do that and now the city has been able to fund the construction of Shawnee Park and Osage Park" at a cost of $4 million.

Cape Girardeau brings in about $800,000 a year in revenue from its tourism tax, which is 3 percent on hotel rooms and 1 percent on restaurants, Miller said.