When traffic is flowing smoothly, we don’t pay much attention to the roads beneath our wheels. Roadways are one of the most concrete ways we experience our tax dollars at work. And it’s not just the morning commute or the weekly grocery trip; businesses depend on strong infrastructure to make daily deliveries to customers, hold fuel budgets in check and keep drivers safe.
As a small-business owner, traffic flow plays a big part in my day-to-day operations. Like many others, I see each day how investment in transportation infrastructure improves the economic health of our community.
There’s a proven, fiscally responsible way to address our ongoing infrastructure needs. Springfield residents have the opportunity on April 5 to renew the quarter-cent capital improvements sales tax and eighth-cent transportation sales tax. By voting “yes” on both issues, we can continue to fund priority transportation improvements without a tax increase.
The two taxes are estimated to generate a combined $50 million to invest in high-priority projects, such as intersection and stormwater improvements, traffic flow and sidewalks.
The quarter-cent tax was first approved by voters in 1989 and the eighth-cent in 1996. Each time citizens have been asked to renew, the answer has been a resounding yes. I believe that should be our answer again.
Over the years they’ve been in place, these funds have proved to be some of the most efficient in using taxpayer dollars. Drivers see the evidence when they pass the “Completed as Promised” sign at Republic Road and James River, the diverging diamond at Battlefield Road and Highway 65 and the intersections on South Glenstone Avenue.
In fact, Springfield’s tax rate for capital improvements and transportation is less than half the rates of our peers in Columbia and Joplin. That’s why these funds are so critical. And because the ballot issues call for renewal of existing taxes, taxpayer costs will stay the same. There will be no tax increase.
The Missouri Department of Transportation has suspended its cost-sharing program, making this funding program even more critical. Visitors to Springfield, including those traveling into the city to work each day, will help pay for these projects through their purchases. It’s a fair trade for the wear and tear on Springfield streets and bridges.
City staff utilized citizen input to create a list of proposed projects in all four council zones. Two continuation projects, on Republic Road and Primrose, are also included. These were started in earlier tax cycles and their completion will eliminate bottlenecks. Residents also can expect improved emergency response times if these issues are approved.
For those who favor alternative transportation, the proposed list includes $2 million for such projects as bike and pedestrian walkways, safety signs and markings, and bike routes.
Let’s improve our city’s economic health by improving its transportation infrastructure. Vote “yes” twice on April 5.
Jeff Schrag is publisher of The Daily Events and owner of Mother’s Brewing Co. He can be reached at jschrag@mothersbrewing.com.
