'Cape Cash' is innovative way to talk TTF 5

Road maintenance and new construction are not cheap, and officials face the vital task of allocating dollars and determining the best and most cost-efficient plan.

Good roads are a priority in Cape Girardeau, and voters have consistently approved a half-cent and pay-as-you-go Transportation Trust Fund to maintain roadways. TTF 5 will appear on the August ballot.

It was interesting to see how the city used a recent meeting to gauge public opinion and show residents real-life examples of how to allocate funds.

During the meeting, residents were given $20 million in "Cape Cash" and told to allocate among the eight projects to be considered and other repair projects.

This was an innovative way to get people involved. Instead of the traditional question-and-answer format, it was an interactive way whereby residents could see actual costs and some of the decisions the city has to make.

Another TTF 5 public meeting, with the same "Cape Cash" format, is scheduled for 5:30 tonight at the Osage Centre.

We encourage you to consider attending. The exercise not only helps residents understand the process, but it could be a good way for the city to see, on a limited basis, where voters want to see TTF dollars spent.