CITY IS CORRECT TO ADDRESS ASSMENTS

Sound streets are vital for any city. Thanks to approval of a half-cent transportation sales tax in 1995, work is continuing to improve a number of Cape Girardeau's streets.

But the growing number of street projects has brought to light some inconsistencies in assessment policies. As a result, the city has come up with policies for five different types of street construction:

-- Widening residential streets

-- Widening commercial streets or residential streets in commercial areas

-- Widening commercial streets

-- New residential street construction

-- New commercial street construction

Greater consistency on street assessments should help as the city moves ahead on these important projects.

Equality is important. State law mandates that all property owners be assessed by the same formula.

Some people have complained about large street assessments.

But let's remember this: The cost of Transportation Trust Fund projects were based on the fact property owners would donate their land. Without the donated easements, the cost of the projects would be significantly greater.

The city currently requires all property owners along a particular project to donate the land or otherwise everyone will be assessed for a portion of the project's cost. This should be handled on a case-by-case basis. Any property owner who voluntarily donates right of way should be given a break regardless of what a neighbor does.

The street-improvement sale-tax revenue should lower costs to property owners living along the roadways targeted for improvement. But the city never promised that all costs would be covered.

That would hardly be fair to the many property owners who have paid for improvements to their streets over the years, whether they live along strictly residential streets or arterial roadways.

It is important that the City Council move forward on adopting these new guidelines and proceed with the road projects.

Property owners along Hopper Road have been particularly vocal about the high street-assessment bills. But without money from the street-improvement sales tax, the assessments would be two or three times higher since the cost would be paid entirely through special assessments. The city engineer estimates that the actual cost of the construction along Hopper Road would be $175 per frontage foot.

Taxpayers want such projects as improvements to Broadway, Bloomfield, Perryville and Hopper Roads to move forward. That's why the transportation sales tax passed so overwhelmingly in 1995. The city should work to resolve these questions quickly so work on these road projects can proceed.