TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX PROPONENTS MUST HIT THE STREET SOON

It is official. The half-cent transportation sales tax issue will be on the Aug. 8 ballot in Cape Girardeau.

Residents and community groups have had ample opportunity to suggest much-needed transportation projects. Many of those suggestions are included in the list of projects that would be funded by the tax. The fact the tax has a five-year sunset clause should also prove popular with voters. The tax would be dropped at the end of five years unless voters approved an extension.

But the work is far from done. Compiling the list of projects was crucial to a successful campaign. Most taxpayers snub a "trust-me" attitude on the part of government. Voters now know which roads and streets would receive priority funding if the tax is approved.

The Planning and Zoning Commission, the city staff and members of Vision 2000, the Chamber of Commerce and other interested groups must literally hit the streets to generate support. Proponents must combat the general negative attitude people have about taxes. This will best be accomplished by a far-reaching campaign that includes one-on-one explanations. People must understand how they will directly benefit from this proposal. To ensure approval, this tax issue must remain fresh on everyone's minds throughout the summer.

This sales tax proposal is a great way to allow out-of-town shoppers help pay for improved roads and streets in our city. That is the beauty of a sales tax. The danger, of course, is the sales tax could become too high and present a burden on citizens: That doesn't appear to be the case in Cape Girardeau.

The current city sales tax rate is 5.975 cents on a dollar. That is the same as Scott City and lower than Jackson and Sikeston, which are both 6.225 cents. Jackson's rate includes a half-cent transportation sales tax that has proved very successful in improving key roads and streets. In both Cape Girardeau and Scott County, each city sales tax includes a half-cent county sales tax and 4.225 state sales tax.

Even with the half-cent transportation sales tax, Cape Girardeau's rate of 6.474 wouldn't represent a burden to citizens.

Sales tax revenue has been a boon to both the county and the city. Cape Girardeau County merchants took in 7 percent more sales tax revenue in May this year than the previous year, which seems a common trend. The highest amount of annual sales tax increase in recent history was in 1994. Generous sales tax receipts has allowed the county to operate without a property tax for general operations.

It is easy to see why sales tax revenue is booming. Cape Girardeau is a hub of retail activity in Southeast Missouri. Construction of new businesses seems constant. Thriving construction and business growth in Jackson has boosted the county sales tax figures as well.

Voters should separate the recent disagreement over the Cape Girardeau city budget concerning increased fees and sewer rates from the transportation sales tax. These issues aren't related.

Taxpayers have a right to be upset that the city council went back on its resolution to cap fees at 5 percent without voter approval. Earlier this week, the council raised golf and recreation fees by as much as 8 percent. The principle was sound: These programs should be self-supporting. But the council would have been well advised to follow Councilman Melvin Gateley's suggestion of phasing in the fee increases.

The council has capped the sewer rate increase at 5 percent starting in early August. The increase may be needed for the sewer program to be self-supporting, but the timing may be shortsighted.

That is why an aggressive informational campaign on the transportation tax is all the more necessary. For this transportation sales tax proposal to win approval, every voter should learn how they would personally benefit. It is a big job to sell a tax increase to voters, so the work should begin soon with intensity building toward Aug. 8.