Sales tax proposal designed to move Sikeston into future

SIKESTON -- Tuesday Sikeston voters will go to the polls to decide the fate of the proposed sales tax and, in doing so, the city's future.

"For the last several weeks, DPS Director Drew Juden, myself and others have been visiting civic groups and others throughout the community and there has been an overwhelming support because those individuals recognize the need to have a strong Public Safety Department, good streets and quality of life and want to move the community forward," said Mayor Steven Burch. "It's a message that rings true with everybody we talk to."

Based on current revenue levels, the conservative estimate for new revenue that would be generated by the half cent capital improvement sales tax is $1.4 million, if approved by voters, according to city officials.

City Council members and city staff have pledged that half of that amount would go to fund Sikeston Department of Public Safety personnel salaries that are competitive when up against other law enforcement agencies in the region.

The current City Council has already increased salaries using city reserves. Burch said he doesn't think a future Council would ever try to divert the revenue from DPS salaries to something else.

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