Editorial

Funding programs

The confusion over who owns property in Cape Girardeau County used for sheltered workshops appears near resolution. Several weeks ago it was determined that deeds to the property, in Cape Girardeau and Fruitland, had never been properly recorded as intended many years ago. The county commission and the Cape County Board for Developmentally Disabled (the former SB40 board) looked into the matter, and it was decided to deed the property to the Board for Developmentally Disabled, which oversees the revenue from a special tax designated for programs for the disabled. Some of the tax revenue had been used to purchase the property.

Now that the matter of the deeds has been equitably resolved, the Board for Developmentally Disabled can concentrate on how best to use the revenue it has accumulated over the years that the SB40 tax has been in existence.

Several individuals have made the point during recent discussions that there are other programs beyond sheltered workshops that would benefit the county's developmentally disabled. The board is in charge of a sizable amount of reserved funds, and suggestions to find ways to spend some of that money make sense.

There are good opportunities for more efforts in this area.

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