TWO HEAR STREET TAX PLANS AT HEARING OF VISION 2000

Two residents were on hand to influence city officials Thursday night on funding sources Cape Girardeau might use to finance future street projects and improvements.

A city councilman, the city manager and a city planner discussed ideas with Louis Haynes and Bob Price about the best means for funding street projects proposed by the Vision 2000 committee.

"They're not going to know what happened, until the dog bites them in the behind," Haynes said of Cape Girardeau residents.

Disappointed with Thursday's turnout, Haynes said residents won't take part in the input session, but they'll be upset with the outcome, whatever it is.

"We need to be sure and get the word out before anything is done," he said about finding sources for street funding.

City Planner Kent Bratton talked the various ways to fund street projects. Some funding sources, such as the general revenue fund and the general revenue reserves, don't have the available money to finance street improvements targeted by the Vision 2000 committee and were eliminated as options.

Bratton said a tax increase would be the practical way to finance the projects. Haynes and Price agreed.

"But we better get going quick because a school tax for a new school could come up again soon," Price said.

Haynes said no matter what the tax, it would have to be a "sunset tax," or a tax that would have a limited existence, perhaps five or 10 years.

Both men thought a quarter- or half-cent sales tax would be an acceptable way to generate the revenue for street improvements. The tax also would affect residents who work and travel through Cape Girardeau as opposed to an increased property tax that would only affect city residents.

Another transportation hearing is scheduled at the May Greene School Gym Saturday at 9 a.m.