Treasurer: Approval of mail service contractor will save county time, money

Since Commercial Mail Services went out of business in mid-August, Cape Girardeau County has handled mailing its tax bills, personal property assessment forms and other mail.

Thursday, the county commission approved Premium Regional Mail of Jackson to perform those services.

County Treasurer Roger Hudson said the move would save his office about two hours of time spent handling such mail services each day. Additionally, the treasurer's office would have to spend at least $8,000 a year to lease and maintain two postal meters, which would cost about four more cents per letter than what Premium Regional Mail is charging. The treasurer's office has been mailing the county's correspondence since Commercial Mail Services closed.

"It's been hard to get a lot done," Hudson said. "While we're handling 500 pieces of mail a day, that will increase in the weeks ahead once we start mailing out tax bills to more than 38,000 residents. That bumps us up to 2,000 pieces of mail a day."

Though Premium Regional Mail will now handle mailing services, the county is awaiting from Commercial Mail Services the return of $4,480.51 the county spent for August postage.

Commercial Mail Services was founded in 1988. By 2003 had grown to 15 employees with vans and equipment that enabled the company to handle up to 30,000 pieces of mail daily.

In other action, the commission opened bids on an extension of Route AB to the intersection of highways 25 and 77 in Blomeyer. The estimated price tag for the project that is expected to begin in late November or early December is $2,064,585.

bblackwell@semissuorian.com

388-3628