Tax is important for public safety

To the editor:

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted unanimously to support the fire sales tax. This decision was made following a presentation by city manager Doug Leslie and several members of the city staff. The board carefully considered the action for more than one month prior to taking the final vote.

The list of convincing reasons to vote yes is long. The money will go into a dedicated trust fund to be used only for the fire and police departments. Half of the tax will be used to fund a 10 year plan for equipment and facility upgrades and will sunset in 10 years. The other half will be used for operations including salary adjustments to make us more competitive with surrounding communities.

Many of you know me as chamber president. But many of you may not know I am a former police officer. I served on the St. Louis County Police Department from 1981 to 1985. I personally believe this tax is extremely important to all of us and our families as we move forward in a world sure to be more focused on public safety.

Please vote yes on Tuesday.

JOHN MEHNER

President and CEO

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce

Cape Girardeau