CENSUS, SALES TAXES: POSITIVE INDICATORS

Two recent reports indicate positive trends for the Cape Girardeau area. One has to do with revenue from the county's sales tax, which jumped sharply in the first quarter. The other is the latest census adjustment, which shows healthy growth in Cape Girardeau and Jackson as well as outlying areas of the county.

First the sales tax.

Cape Girardeau County has the rare financial good fortune to be able to operate its general-revenue budget entirely on sales-tax income instead of relying on property taxes. The county also has been able, with good planning and foresight, to build up a healthy reserve, which produces investment income as well as providing a cushion against any disaster for which the county might be liable.

So revenue from the county's half-cent sales tax is closely monitored, because it is the lifeblood of county services and operations. In the first quarter of this year, receipts based on sales in November, December and January were up 13 percent over last year's first quarter, which is the largest increase ever.

This is an indication of a strong economy in the county, as reflected in sales of taxable items.

While it is impossible to predict accurately whether this trend will continue for the rest of the year, there are indications that sales should remain healthy.

Moreover, Cape Girardeau County has enjoyed increases of 4 to 10 percent in sales-tax revenue every year since 1990, except for 1991 when the increase was a modest 1 percent, thanks to a recession.

Cape Girardeau is a regional shopping center that continues to expand, adding to the potential for more sales-tax revenue in the future.

Being a hub for retailers, medical care, manufacturing and education also attracts new residents, as indicated by the newest census figures.

Since the last official census in 1990, Cape Girardeau County's population has grown to 66,010 from 61,633. This includes an increase in the Jackson population to nearly 11,000 -- city officials say its even more than that, which will be reflected in the official 2000 census -- from 9,256 in 1990. And in the same period, Cape Girardeau's population has nearly reached the 35,500 mark, up from 34,475.

Many area residents can recall the days when most of the nation's population was shifting to urban areas from rural communities. In large part, that was where the jobs were. But that trend has reversed in recent years, and the U.S. Census Bureau says the effects are being registered throughout the nation's midsection.

Why? For one thing, a good many jobs have moved from urban areas to take advantage of more competitive wages and a lifestyle that is more conducive for raising families. Cape Girardeau's growth in manufacturing jobs is just one example of that trend, with announcements by several companies in recent months that will mean hundreds more jobs in the near future.

With the growth, however, comes the need to upgrade services, provide more housing, expand schools and provide the necessary infrastructure. All of these areas have received considerable attention in recent months, thanks to forward-looking elected officials and business leaders.

Housing starts are strong in the county. School districts in Cape Girardeau and Jackson are involved in major capital-improvement projects, as is Southeast Missouri State University. Highway improvements galore are either under construction, on the drawing board or in the planning stages, including the $90 million Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge across the Mississippi River.

These are all positive indications for the area which can be measured, in part, by such things as sales-tax receipts and census figures.