Jim Maurer recently won the Stick Your Neck Out Award at the 2015 Missouri Main Street Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Old Town Cape nominated Mr. Maurer for his work in the creation of the Cape Girardeau CID. As a business owner with a regional presence, Jim risked inviting negative reactions from the inevitable naysayers in the community who would be opposed to his advocacy of a new tax. Despite this risk, Jim believed that it was the right thing to do for downtown and for our entire community, and so he was willing to stick his neck out… repeatedly… to ensure that the job got done, and got done right.
Jim started his work with Old Town Cape in 2004 when he began his first of two, three year terms on the Board of Directors. At the end of his second term, he agreed to continue volunteering as chair of a steering committee to facilitate the formation of a downtown community improvement district (CID)-- a process that ended up being almost 5 years in the making and more than controversial at times.
Jim was not a chair in name only. He engaged in all the work of the committee, helping set the boundaries and services that outlined the petition. He helped facilitate and coordinate in kind or delayed payment of a survey for a legal description, legal work and the business side (office supplies and other needed items). He was involved in most all legal, city council and media discussions.
The steering committee originally had 13 members but eventually only about half of those were active and did the work of the committee. The group was facilitated by Old Town Cape’s Downtown Development Team which included the Director and a board member of Old Town Cape, a Chamber representative and a City representative. This group acted as a resource to the steering committee and did much of the research, facilitation of meetings and timeline.
After serving on the Old Town Cape Board, Jim knew the importance of keeping the formation of the new district and Old Town Cape separate. He took the lead position on public and council presentations, media inquiries and discussions and property owner inquiries. He continually protected Old Town Cape and the Development Team and at the same time helped people understand that this was a way to provide needed services that likely Old Town Cape could facilitate. Even though the whole process was facilitated through Old Town Cape and Development Team, Jim made sure the steering committee had its own presence through his representation.
The original boundaries outlined in the petition included almost 460 properties. (In comparison, the other CID in Cape Girardeau boasts 1 property owner.) Jim owned property with a business in the district, a gas station/quick shop. There were 2 other similar businesses owned by other individuals in the district. He took the lead on gaining their support even though the extra tax would create discrepancies in pricing/margin in relation to their stores in other parts of the town. This was by no means an easy sell and became quite controversial with one owner. But Jim persisted and finally came to an understanding with the other two business/property owners.
After the petition was finalized, Jim spent many hours coordinating and personally gathering property owner signatures, traveling as much as 90 miles for one signature. When almost enough signatures were gathered to deliver to City Council, Jim facilitated a difficult decision with the steering committee to redraw the boundaries. This decision resulted in voiding the signed petitions. A new petition had to be drafted with new boundaries and the steering committee had to start over on gathering signatures.
The reason behind the decision was that a section of the original boundaries was simply not supportive of the CID concept and had very different expectations of service than the rest of the proposed district. It was determined that should the CID pass, those property owners would likely be disappointed in the service because, no matter how presented, they had unrealistic expectations. In addition, there were a number of residents in that area who were not supportive and could have negatively influenced the vote to pass the taxes. Although it was not the easy thing to do, redrawing the boundaries was the right thing to do.
This was a difficult decision resulting in disappointment and some discouragement as the group had to start over. But Jim was not deterred. With his property and one of the other quick shops left out of the new proposed boundaries, he made sure not to include the third quick shop so they were not at a disadvantage. This was a testament to Jim’s integrity as that property would have provided a large amount in tax to the district had it been left in and likely the district and tax could have passed with it included. He had given his word that they would all do it together and when that situation needed to be changed, he made sure it was fair for everyone.
Jim went back and asked for additional survey work and rallied the tired volunteers (and Old Town Cape staff and the rest of the Development Team) to get the signatures needed to form the district. The new boundaries contained 268 properties and 180 property owners. 180 signed petitions, representing 64.35% of the properties in the district and 52.78% per capita were delivered to the City Clerk on December 5, 2013. The signed petitions were verified and the request to form the district was approved by City Council on May 5, 2014.
Now it was time to “get the vote”. The petition called for a .5 % sales tax and a small property tax to fund the services outlined. The property tax was included because a section of the district was already part of a Special Business District that was funded through the exact property included in the Petition. It was set up that the Special Business District would be dissolved when the property tax was passed for the CID. So those property owners would experience a “wash” in their property taxes while properties in the other part of the proposed district would only see a slight increase in their property tax. It was used as a selling point, noting how much had been done within the boundaries of that Special Business District and explaining that would continue in the expanded area.
It was a complicated vote. The steering committee was originally advised that the property and sales tax could be combined in one ballot. But in reality this had never been done before in the state of Missouri and when it came to working with the County Clerk, her research found that the ballots had to be divided. Two ballots. Two different time frames. Two different requirements for passage.
Again, none of this deterred Jim. He worked with the steering committee and Development Team, discussing the best way to insure success the first time. The group agreed the help of a consultant was needed. This was an expense that was not reimbursable by the CID, should it be finalized. Jim helped the team brainstorm and eventually fundraise, donating some of the investment himself to make sure the vote was successful. The consultants helped frame the vote and develop strategy. And Jim helped implement the strategy, again taking time to make some of the contacts himself and facilitating a public meeting of the residents within the district to help answer questions. Taxes are never popular and both the sales and property tax proposal had their detractors. Jim stood strong and took the lead in facing the opposition.
The September 16 mail in ballot election was certified by the County Clerk with the sales tax passing with a total of 51 votes (out of 180 voters), 31 in favor and 20 against. However, the property tax failed on a close vote with a total of 54 votes, 28 opposed and 26 in favor. The budget was rewritten and the process moved forward. Sales tax began being collected on January 1, 2015 – 5 years after the first informational meeting of the steering committee in January of 2010.
Jim helped facilitate the transition of the formation to execution and the running of the CID by named Board of Directors. He was willing to even be a Board member but became ineligible when the boundaries were redrawn. But Jim was intent on seeing it through and attended Board meetings and held discussions for the first six months after the establishment of the Board. He helped frame the request for qualifications that would lead to a contract for services providing management of the district.
For his unwavering leadership and commitment to the formation of the Downtown Cape Girardeau Community Improvement District in the face of adversity and possible personal damage and insult, Jim Maurer is more than deserving of the 2015 Missouri Main Street Connection’s Stick Out Your Neck Award. Congratulations, Jim!
Pictured below: Marla Mills, Old Town Cape Executive Director, accepts the 2015 Stick Out Your Neck Award on behalf of Jim Maurer, from Dr. Steven Hoffman, Missouri Main Street Connection Board of Directors President and Old Town Cape Board Member.
