Why we pay taxes, why we vote, why we take pride

Voters in Cape Girardeau and Cape Girardeau County will be making important decisions this year. They will be voting on plans to spend millions of dollars. Here are some thoughts about why I think these ballot issues are so important -- and why I think being informed and voting are duties we should take seriously.

OK. I can hear some of you muttering into your Cheerios. You're saying, "Joe, this doesn't sound like a fun column." And you're right. That's because there are times when we need to act like grown-ups -- serious, thinking adults. So here goes.

There are four key issues involving dollars on the local horizon this year. On April 7 those of us in Cape Girardeau County will be asked to authorize a 1 percent use tax. Those of us in the Cape Girardeau School District also will be asked to approve an extension of the district's debt-service levy. Those of us in the Nell Holcomb School District will be asked to approve Proposition 2, which would mean more revenue for the district's operating needs. And in August those of us in the city of Cape Girardeau will be asked to support the fifth five-year plan for transportation needs.

Let me say right now that I support all of these proposals. I think most of you do, too, because you understand that government at all levels requires adequate funding to provide all the needs and services we want. In short, we are willing to pay for what we get.

Underscoring our support for necessary taxes is the confidence that our elected officials -- county commissioners, school board, city council -- take their duties seriously and have given earnest consideration to the plans they are asking voters to approve.

There's another component of why we vote to pay certain taxes: pride.

When it's all said and done, we can look around our county, our city, our school district and say to ourselves and to each other, "This is a community that plans well and gets the most out of every tax dollar."

When I came to Cape Girardeau more than 20 years ago, the city's school district was providing a high-quality education to students, but its facilities were sorely in need of upgrades. Since then, voters have shown how important they think good schools are by voting for major construction and renovation projects. In April voters get another opportunity to bolster their school pride.

When I came to Cape Girardeau and learned about the Nell Holcomb School District, I had a flashback to my early schooling in a one-room schoolhouse with eight grades and one teacher. Nell Holcomb is the 21st century version of that concept, and it is one that has served the district's patrons well for so many years. Now the district needs approval to allow it to raise more revenue, and voters in that district will surely see the benefits and be guided by their pride in their school.

When I came to Cape Girardeau, there were so many street improvements needed that it was hard to know where to start. But city officials -- elected and staff -- put together a plan that requires voter endorsement every five years. And look at our city's streets today. Don't let seasonal potholes cloud your thinking. We will always have potholes to repair. Look at all the major upgrades of the past two decades. I'm sure you share my pride in what the city has accomplished in this area.

When I came to Cape Girardeau, everyone who lived in the county and purchased an automobile paid the same amount when they licensed their vehicles, even if they purchased those cars and trucks out of state. A court said the tax on out-of-state purchases -- a use tax -- had to be approved by voters. Last April, voters in Cape Girardeau County, Cape Girardeau and Jackson turned down a proposed use tax to remedy the disparity in taxation created by the court's ruling.

Now the county is asking voters again to impose a use tax. So what has changed in one year? It may not sound like much, but I think voters have had an opportunity to become better informed about the issue and understand better the reasonableness of a level field for taxes used to finance local needs and services.

Sure. This is complicated. And to some voters it may sound like another layer of taxation. But let's be honest. The proposed county use tax would only affect those who make major purchases out of state, and the use tax would mean everyone would pay the same amount for items like cars, trucks, boats and RVs as they paid before the court's decision.

There's another huge consideration regarding the proposed county use tax. Major needs for courthouse facilities have been identified, and the county commission says revenue from the use tax would cover the cost of bonds that would pay for those upgrades and construction projects. That sounds like a reasonable, fair and forward-looking plan.

Fairness and balance are just two of the critical considerations voters should take into account when deciding how to vote on the county use tax. Straight-shooting taxpayers will see the value of having the same overall taxation for everyone.

Well, there's my spiel. I think taxation is the price we pay for living in one of the best areas our country has to offer. And I take enormous pride in the facilities our local government entities strive to provide in the most economical fashion.

Please give serious thought to your own pride in our community when you vote.

Joe Sullivan is the retired editor of the Southeast Missourian.