Cape officials to ask for property tax increase to fund police, fire salaries

Cape Girardeau officials are considering asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund pay increases for police officers and firefighters.

A release sent Tuesday, Nov. 21, quoted the city's mayor and three previous mayors advocating for the increase, which would amount to $0.25 for every $100 of assessed value in real estate and personal property taxes. For example, for a home valued at $200,000, the tax increase would amount to $122.13 annually.

The plan would be to initially increase pay for those employees 8%.

Mayor Stacy Kinder said the city's police and fire departments are struggling to attract and retain personnel.

"These employees are operating in the most dangerous roles, in an effort to make Cape the safest city it can be, for all of us. This comes also at a time when recruiting and retaining officers is increasingly competitive, and the City has long been behind in offering strong salaries and benefits," she said in the release. "Additionally, the nexus of strong public safety to property values in Cape is important, as we look to promote growth and prosperity community wide. I'm supportive of this plan because it's a very stable way to strengthen our public safety forces, and will better enable our Police and Fire departments to attract and retain the best officers possible."

Bob Fox, the city's most recent former mayor, on the proposal: "We are falling farther behind in salary structure even after a recent substantial increase with the passage of our Use Tax proposal. We need to come up with more innovative ways to enhance these salaries, not only to keep our current personnel, but to attract new police officers and firefighters."

Harry Rediger, mayor from 2010-18: "I remember our city attempts, during my years as mayor, to upgrade our public safety staff and salaries. Our attempts were always limited due to available funds in general revenue. The time has come that we unite together as city staff, council and all of our citizens to properly fund those who protect us, our public safety staff, through a small restricted increase in our property taxes. I am 100% on board to support this important initiative."

Jay Knudtson, mayor from 2002-10: "From this day forward, Cape Girardeau needs to send a message that violent crime will come with drastic and punitive repercussions and simply will not be tolerated. To implement this 'zero-tolerance' approach towards violent crime, we must take drastic and strategic measures to stomp out these bad actors making bad decisions in our community. These measures come in the form of a coordinated citywide effort whereby a targeted and restricted funding source is supported by our citizenry to support our dedicated men and women of public safety. Let's send a message that Cape Girardeau is the wrong place for bad actors to commit violent crime because if you do, you will be dealt with harshly and swiftly. If we don't have a safe community -- we really have no community at all."

Public safety personnel have received raises above those of other municipal employees in recent years. Since voters approved a use tax in 2021, key personnel salaries in those departments have risen 12% to 17%. Still, department officials, as well as organizations representing police officers and firefighters, have regularly noted staffing shortages and personnel departures, citing pay as a factor.

At their 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, meeting, City Council members will consider an ordinance to ask voters for the tax increase to support police officer and firefighter salaries. If passed by the final reading, the voters would decide the matter in the Tuesday, April 2, election.