Special Sales Tax Election — August 3, 1993

Historical Summer 1993 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

The citizens of St. Louis have an excellent opportunity to insure the long term financial stability of our city and to provide for long delayed capital improvements by voting to approve both sales tax proposals at the upcoming Special Election on August 3, 1993. Two separate questions will be before you: 4, 1) whether to impose a 3/8 cent sales tax for general revenue purposes; and 2) whether to impose a 1/2 cent sales tax to be used only for capitol improvements.

If approved. the 3/8 cent sales tax will produce $11.5 million annually It will replace the revenues lost when this tax was discontinued in mid-1990 after the voters twice approved its collection.

This dramatic loss of revenue has created serious problems in delivering city services. and with the morale of city workers, particularly our police officers. Because of the budget shortfall created by the loss of this tax, we have been: unable to hire more police officers; forced to reduce personnel in the Parks Department and Streets Department creating unacceptable delays in grass cutting, weed and debris control, tree trimming, and pothole, street light and traffic light repairs; forced to offer less than adequate medical insurance for our employees; and we have been unable to give city workers and especially our police officers meaningful and justifiable raises to support their families.

In reality, the 3/8 cent sales tax is not a new tax: It simply restores our former, inflation-sensitive tax base so that we can provide the level of services that our citizens demand and deserve.

The 1/2 cent sales tax for capital improvements would be a new tax, however.

If approved, it would generate $15.3 million annually and allow us to begin to repair the city’s aging infrastructure in a planned and meaningful way.

The Board of Aldermen has mandated by law that these new revenues will be allocated by subsequent annual appropriation ordinances in the following manner: 50% (or $7,650,000) for neighborhood projects 20% (or $3,060,000) for city-wide projects 17% (or $2,601,000) for major park projects 10% (or $1,530,000) for existing debt on police department projects 3% (or $459,000) for recreation center projects The revenues generated for neighborhood projects will be placed in 28 sub-accounts, one for each ward in the city, to ensure that all areas of the city will benefit from this new tax.

With your help in the 28th ward, we will develop a plan to expend our $275,000 annual allocation to help repair and improve our neighborhoods, streets, sidewalks, alleys, small parks and other public places.

The “lion’s share” of the tax moneys collected for our major parks will go to the much needed restoration of “our” Forest Park because the annual appropriations will be based on park acreage. as follows: The city-wide capital improvements will also be earmarked by subsequent appropriation ordinances recommended by the city “Capital Improvements Committee” and approved by the Board of Aldermen.

Most of these moneys will be used as “matching funds” for the city’s portion of already approved, and federally -funded; repairs to our aging bridges and arterial streets. Federal and state revenues are currently available to pay for 80% of these ‘much needed repairs. Unfortunately, if this tax does not pass, we will forfeit these resources.

If we do approve the sales tax, we will receive $4 for every $1 of city revenue we invest in these programs. Our ten city recreation centers are greatly underutilized because of their deplorable physical condition. “Our” West End Center at Union and Enright is an elegant historic building, but needs a new roof, new gym floors and many other repairs to be fully operational.

I know we all agree .that our young people need safe, supervised “places to go” to provide constructive activities and positive role models.

We must show our children that we care about them by repairing these centers to a level that we can all be proud of.

As the heat of the summer descends upon us, we sadly will be once again reminded that we need more police officers to protect our homes and neighborhoods. By ordinance, the portion of the new tax ear-marked for the police can only be used to pay the existing debts of the police department.

The Board of Aldermen will not release this money, however, until the Police Board adopts an acceptable plan for its use. Police Chief Clarence Harmon has publicly stated that, “It would be our hope to use the additional $1.5 million in revenue to pay down our bonded indebtedness for the three area command stations. Since this would free up $1.5 million in general revenue which is now being used to pay for the command station bonds, we would plan to use those funds to hire an additional 30 officers.” I am confident that the Board of Aldermen will hold the police department to this commitment!

I am very proud.that the citizens of the 28th Ward have consistently supported such sales tax proposals in the past.

For the first time in decades, the mayor, comptroller, and president of the board of aldermen, as well as, an overwhelming majority of my colleagues strongly support these propositions.

In the words of Mayor Freeman Bosley: “We currently have no additional revenue options.

I ask that the members of the Board of Aldermen and the residents of this city join me in supporting this effort (understanding) that I would not ask you to get behind this effort if its passage were not crucial to. the future of this city.

When this measure passes in August, the financial fruit that it bears will be available to the city early next year.

The additional money will afford us the opportunity to make desperately needed physical improvements and enhancements in city services.

It is truly an investment in the future of our city.” I have pledged my support to our new mayor in his efforts and ask each and every one of you for your support and vote on August 3, 1993.

| Park | Acres | Share of total acreage | Annual allocation | |—|—:|—:|—:| |Carondelet|179.71|8.51%|$221,358| |Fairgrounds|131.46|6.23%|$161,926| |Forest Park|1,293.22|61.24%|$1,592,924| |O’Fallon|126.63|6.00%|$155,976| |Willmore|105.61|5.00%|$130,085| |Tower Grove|275.00|13.02%|$338,731| |Totals|2,111.63|100.00%|$2,601,000|

Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Summer 1993.

Read this article in the original newspaper issue.

Original source: SD_Times1993_06.pdf, printed page(s) 3; PDF page(s) 3.