Invest use tax wisely

Please invest the use tax wisely.

I was one of the 1,945 individuals who voted for the use tax. I researched the issue, saw the need, did the math, and decided it was a reasonable request to pay local sales tax on my personal online purchases to maintain existing city facilities, infrastructure, services, and programs that serve the greatest number of citizens in the community.

More than likely, well-meaning individuals and/or groups will approach the mayor, city council members, and city manager and request this additional revenue be used to help fund their new projects and programs. Considering the city's current financial situation, I suggest they are politely told no. In my opinion, this is not the time for the city to agree to fund new projects and programs.

May I encourage serious consideration be given to initially obligating the use tax revenue to:

• Increasing wages to retain existing and attract new city employees.
• Maintaining existing city facilities, infrastructure, services, and programs that serve the greatest number of citizens in the community.
• Rebuilding depleted fund balances to create a safety net for unexpected expenses.

The majority of voters placed their confidence in our city leaders to invest the use tax funds wisely. It would be prudent to remember this in future discussions and before deciding how best to allocate this additional revenue. By doing so, the community will see the voters made the correct decision when approving the use tax.

Gary Hill, Cape Girardeau