Cape school district amends its tax rate

Because of an error in forms sent by the Missouri State Auditor's Office, Cape Girardeau School Board members amended the district's tax rate Thursday night.

The total tax rate of 4.1567 cents per $100 valuation remains the same, but 1 cent moved into the debt service column, superintendent James Welker said.

Neil Glass, assistant superintendent of support services, said that penny represents $60,830.76, which go into funds to cover principal and interest on the district's 2010 bond issue. The district promised voters in 2010 that the bond would not raise taxes.

The district's 2013-2014 budget is $51 million.

"Considering the size of the budget, we can manage that," Welker said.

The board approved the 4.1567 cents per $100 valuation tax rate at its Aug. 26 meeting based on forms sent by the state auditor's office Aug. 13. The auditor's office sent another form Aug. 14. The error was discovered by Cape County Clerk Kara Clark, Welker said.

Deadline for submitting the tax rate to the county clerk was Sept. 1, but Welker said Clark told officials the first version would meet the deadline, so the board simply had to meet again to amend the tax rate.

Welker said he could not recall this happening to the district before. "We check these forms over and over again. There was no way for us to catch it," Welker said. He added the original form was sent to the state auditor's office for review and other people looked at it, as well.

"Nowhere was this caught, except by the county clerk," Welker said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address: 301 N. Clark St.