Cape city officials: Sales taxes key to capital improvements funding

Southeast Missourian

The city of Cape Girardeau’s ability to fund major capital improvements over the next five years depends on voters renewing a series of three sales taxes — one each in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Voters will decide whether to extend a 3/8th-cent sales tax for parks and storm water improvements in April. In 2019, a capital improvement sales tax set to expire. In 2020, you will be asked to extend the transportation trust fund (TTF) sales tax for another five years. Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard questioned how the city would maintain its streets if voters don’t extend the transportation sales tax (TTF 6) two years from now. City manager Scott Meyer said that without the half-cent, transportation sales tax, the city will be hard pressed to do more than patch potholes on its 233 miles of streets. The latest plan, now under discussion by the council, details projects proposed for fiscal years 2018 to 2023, calling for $50.6 million on capital improvements over the next five years. Transportation improvements would account for 53 percent of the projects. Another $153 million in proposed projects are unfunded. A public hearing will be held on the capital improvements plan Feb. 19. The council is expected to adopt the plan March 5.