COUNTY TO BEGIN MOVE TO FIRST CLASS

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau County's assessed valuation will top $450 million this year, and, if maintained for five years, would raise the county to first-class status.

Assessor Jerry Reynolds on Thursday will bring the Board of Equalization to a close, which is the last step in the process of finalizing real estate property values for this year. Reynolds is projecting that Cape County's assessed valuation will reach about $453 million this year, $3 million above the threshold for first-class county status.

State law says a county must maintain its valuation for five consecutive years in order to become first class. In 1990, Cape County's assessed valuation was about $431 million.

"I'm sure we'll wind up being at least $453 million this year," said Reynolds.

County Auditor H. Weldon Macke said, "That will start the clock ticking on our transition to a first-class county."

Macke pointed out that Cape County would become first class on Jan. 1, 1996, unless a drop in assessed valuation occurs, which is unlikely.

Of the 114 counties in the state there are six first-class counties and five others going through the five-year transition period.

The first-class counties are St. Louis, Jackson, Greene, St. Charles, Jefferson, and Clay counties. Those in transition are Boone, Platte, Franklin, Jasper and Buchanan counties.

Macke said that besides Cape County, other counties expected to top $450 million in assessed valuation this year are Cole, Camden, Cass, and Calloway.

Unlike the move from third class to second class, which requires counties to have an auditor's office, the first-class designation does not require any new officeholders. In fact, Macke said most people won't see any difference once Cape County officially becomes first class.

County commissions have a little more authority in the higher classification to pass laws, and commissioners are paid a little more. But for most other elected officials, salaries are based on population and assessed valuation, not classification.

Another difference is that the auditor rather than the presiding commissioner is designated by statute as the county budget officer in first-class counties.

Both Macke and Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep said being a first-class county might add some prestige, and could help economic development efforts and the way Cape County is regarded by state and county officials in other parts of the state.

Once Reynolds presents the assessed valuation figure to the County Commission, it then must set tax rates for 1991, which will be applied to tax bills mailed out later in the year.

Huckstep said the commission would work with other county officials to insure a smooth transition to first-class status. But the presiding commissioner agreed with Macke's assessment that most people won't notice the difference and that the required changes won't be significant.

Cape County became a second-class county in 1967. Cape County would probably be officially a first-class county now had the threshold not been increased from $400 million to $450 million several years ago by the legislature.