WATER BONDS, SALES TAX FACE VOTERS' DECISION ON TUESDAY

Planning for the future is sensible way to go, particularly if the preparation avoids unnecessary inconvenience or unwarranted expense. That seems to be the message from City Hall about the $26.5 million bond issue and quarter-cent sales tax that will be on next Tuesday's ballot. The bonds -- which would be paid off using revenue from the sales tax -- would fund major improvements in Cape Girardeau's water system.

In nearly 40 formal presentations around the city in recent weeks, the message has been fairly simple: Water consumption, which was steady for several years until 1991, has gone up rapidly in recent years, peaking on a couple of days near the water system's maximum output of 7.3 million gallons a day. With the addition of new wells and more treatment capacity, the city's maximum water supply would increase to 10 million gallons a day.

Because it would take a couple of years to complete the first improvements to the water system, City Hall folks say, it is important to move ahead with the upgrade in order to be ready for what is anticipated to be a steady growth in water usage. This is, on one hand, a good indicator of the continued industrial, retail, service and residential growth in the city. On the other hand, there are lingering questions about how long the 10 million-gallon capacity would meet the city's future water needs.

There are other factors that will likely influence voters on this issue when they go to the polls next week. One is the fairly fresh memory of the city's purchase of the water system from Union Electric. At that time, many city residents were led to believe that one advantage of having the city buy the water system was to avoid a takeover from another private company that might raise rates drastically to make it a going concern. Now the city says its multimillion-dollar program is so absolutely necessary that it is prepared to raise water rate 59 percent if the bond issues passes but the sales tax fails next Tuesday (they are separate issues on the ballot).

Another factor that will have a bearing, no doubt, on Tuesday's vote is the Cape Girardeau School District's recently announced plan to upgrade facilities and programs funded by a 69-cent increase in school taxes. That plan will likely be on the ballot next April -- right when the new water-bond sales-tax collections would start if voters approve next week. City and school taxpayers may regard the combination of tax increases as a heavy load to bear. If a choice has to be made, however, the priority certainly should go to education.

Throughout the nearly 40 presentations that have been given about the water plan, there have been few questions and little opposition. City officials take this as an indication of support. It is possible, however, that voters may simply be resigned to voting against a bond issue or a sales-tax increase.

Like any service provided by government, there is always a need to improve and expand to serve a growing community. The question voters will have to settle for themselves next Tuesday is whether or not the $26.5 million cost and the quarter-cent sales tax are the right way to deal with the growth. If the city has been as successful as it thinks in laying out the program, the package should pass with ease. But if voters are in a no-tax-increase mood, there is a good chance the city will have to rethink its approach to water needs.