SALES-TAX PLAN IS CHANCE TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR FUTURE

A proposed half-cent sales tax for streets and bridges in Cape Girardeau offers an opportunity for the city to make some significant and needed improvements. The sales-tax election Tuesday also is a test of voters' resolve to support future development and growth. A yes vote would demonstrate the community's determination to have streets that serve the needs of today and allow for the expansion of tomorrow.

Adding taxes is not a decision to be made lightly. At every level, the burden of paying for government is becoming more onerous. Efforts are afoot in Washington to make real cuts by reducing overall government. Here in Missouri, there clearly is a need to consider significant tax cuts in the face of a growing economy and excesses in some state programs. But federal and state tax rates are the work of elected officials. Individual taxpayers have little control over those taxes except through the election of representatives and senators in Congress and the General Assembly.

In the case of the proposed city sales tax, the decision rests squarely with individual voters. These same voters must decide if they want to support a plan that has been carefully crafted to give assurances and specifics that most federal and state taxation programs do not.

Look at some of the assurances and specifics:

-- An all-out effort was made to gather public input on the sale-tax plan and the projects it would pay for. This series of public hearings, sponsored by the community-minded Vision 2000 organization, served a good purpose. For example, a high priority on the list of projects to be funded by sales-tax revenue is the paving of the city's remaining two miles of gravel streets. Before the hearings, those streets hadn't been put on any priority list.

-- There are 20 clearly identified projects that have the support of the chamber of commerce, the planning and zoning commission and the city council. As each of these groups made their lists, public input was sought. Having a list of specific goals and a set of priorities for everything on the list is important. Voters who support the sales tax will do so with confidence about how their money will be spent.

-- To give even more assurance to voters and taxpayers, the city council has established a trust fund for the sales-tax revenue. All of the money will go into the trust fund and can be spent only on street, bridge and sidewalk improvements in the city. It is estimated that $17 million will be collected over the next five years. This could pay for all 20 of the projects. But the sales-tax collections could be even higher than estimated, or the cost of the projects could be more than anticipated. Both would have a bearing on how much of the work is accomplished.

-- A key part of the overall plan is the so-called sunset provision for the sales tax. This means that the sales tax will stop at the end of five years. That is guaranteed. At that time, the city and its voters would have to decide if there are more projects that need special funding. The sales tax could be continued beyond the five-year period only if voters gave their approval. This is far different than imposing a tax that becomes a permanent fixture or even a burden when the original needs have already been met.

It isn't an easy process to get a tax approved these days. And it shouldn't be. But this time the city and the community have worked together -- and have worked hard -- to come up with a plan that addresses real needs and offers guarantees against voting for one thing and paying for another. The plan, hammered out over several weeks, also clearly says how the money would be spent. The trust fund tells voters that the money is to be used for one purpose and one purpose only. And, at the end of five years, the tax ends unless voters agree that there are more needs.

This is a good plan. When voters control the impact of government on their pocketbooks, they are participating in the best of democratic government. Voting yes on Tuesday will show that well-thought-out plans deserve vigorous support.