All TTF projects follow the plan

Thank you to the voters of Cape Girardeau for recognizing the value of the half-cent sales tax for the transportation needs of our city. This is a user tax, so the cost of building and maintaining our streets is shared with all who use them.

The Transportation Trust Fund has been a successful program over the past 15 years. We have completed or have under construction over $60 million in specific street improvements in Cape Girardeau. This is a pay-as-you-go program, and the tax money collected can only be used for street improvements. We are proud of the fact that these improvements have been completed on time and on budget.

There has been some misconception within the community that there have been excessive cost overruns in these programs. This is not true, but I can understand some of the confusion within our general projects.

We have always carved out a portion of the tax receipts for specified general projects. TTF-4 designated $6,175,000 for these projects, which by design included street overlays, street and curb repair and sidewalk repair and construction. We have always charged our city staff to evaluate the needs in these areas and prioritize annually for construction.

We also have been very diligent in reserving at least 15 percent of the funds for contingencies. This policy has proved invaluable as we encounter such things as higher right-of-way costs, design changes and a constantly fluctuating bid market within the construction industry.

I want our citizens to be assured that all funds generated by the transportation sales tax are spent wisely, within budget and according to the total TTF plan. Obviously, citizens see the value of this program and want our city to move forward with these infrastructure improvements. We pledge to keep our citizens informed as these promised projects come on line during the next five years.

HARRY E. REDIGER, Mayor, Cape Girardeau