This week’s column is a simple Q and A on questions the Ole Seagull has been asked about the proposed economic development tax and the downtown bridge and, for what they matter, his responses.
1. Does Taney County need an economic development tax? Yes.
2. Why? It is a Class 1 county and one of the fastest growing counties in the state with overall planning, transportation, environmental, quality of life, employment development, and other issues that far outstrip the available financial resources available to solve them.
3. Is the Business Highway 65/MO 76 Bridge across Lake Taneycomo really in danger of being closed down for an extended period? Yes, more than likely, even with the cosmetic treatment its driving surface will receive in the near future, the bridge will transition from its current 3 rating, “Serious Condition” to class 2 “Critical Condition” within the next two to four years
4. Why? After 75 years of wear and tear, the cement deck and its supporting cross beams, upon which the driving surface rests, is deteriorating at an accelerating rate and, if not corrected very soon, will lead to the bridge receiving a rating of 2 by MoDOT which requires that the bridge be shut down.
5. How do you know that is true? Of his own volition, he does not but the Ole Seagull has observed both the process and the people involved with the process and trusts both.
6. It is a MoDOT bridge why not let MoDOT take care of it? We could and they will do so to the best of their ability based on the their prioritization and available funding which, in this case, after an extended closing of the existing bridge, will result in a rehabilitated bridge and round about that will handle the projected traffic for the next 20 years.
7. If that will take care of it why build a new bridge? A new bridge is the preferred solution as part of solving the county’s long-term transportation needs, providing bridge redundancy at a critical point in its transportation system, and having to close down the existing bridge for an extended period and avoiding the economic and quality of life issues associated with such a closing.
8. Was the statement in last weeks column stating “It is almost inconceivable to an Ole Seagull that Taney County does not have the resources and ability to take the lead in obtaining the financing necessary to build a new bridge without the imposition of a new retail sales tax” a sincere statement? Of course it was, the root thought of that statement is not original with the Ole Seagull and, in one form or another, is on the minds of many voters.
9. If that is the case, why do we need the economic development tax? If it was just the bridge alone it wouldn’t be necessary but, as number 2 above indicates, it’s not just the bridge requiring adequate financing.
10. What is “adequate financing?” To an Ole Seagull, it means having enough financing so that the elected representatives of Taney County have the resources to be proactive in meeting the multitude of challenges facing our rapidly growing county rather than reactive.
11. What does that mean? Simply put, it means that the county would not have to use most of the financial resources available to solve one part, the bridge, of one major issue, transportation, at the expense of not only not being able to address another important part of the same major issue, the East West Corridor, but the other major issues facing the county.
12. Why would you have put the tax on the November ballot? For what it matters, the Ole Seagull would not have put it on the Nov. ballot because of the “appearance” it created, lack of time for detailed planning relating to the bridge and other issues, and the fact that if the tax fails it cannot be put back on the ballot for at least a year.
13. What is your recommendation? For what is matters and Number 12 aside, at the end of the day, what it will boil down to for the Ole Seagull is his faith and trust in our Taney County Commissioners and the process that the enabling law for the tax sets forth. For most others he would recommend ignoring what has happened up to this point, listening to what is said between now and the election, observing the leadership of the County Commissioners regarding the issue, evaluating the need for the tax and voting accordingly.
