The St Joseph City Council on Thursday confirmed what city residents asserted in a recent survey: that street maintenance should be the top priority for city leaders.  The council met in an informal work session to fine tune a vision and mission statement for the city, and to consolidate a list of goals. Council members condensed ten goals into five.

They agreed that street maintenance should top that list.

Paying for improvements has proven difficult, with current funding methods only covering a small percentage of the city’s road-maintenance needs. Council member Ken Beck advocates implementing a four-cent local gasoline tax to pay for more.

Mr. Beck worries that delaying road repairs will only make those repairs more expensive, as the cost of materials increases.

“We have got to address our streets and our infrastructure,” Beck said in an interview. “That’s the priority.”

When asked if he thought a ballot measure for a gasoline tax could get the two-thirds vote required under state law, Beck wasn’t sure.

“At this point in time, I don’t know,” Beck said. “It’s up to the public.”

“They have got to see the problem, and they have got to want to solve the problem.”

Other goals and objectives on the council’s list include exploring downtown traffic patterns, a possible open riverfront and redeveloping and restoring neighborhoods.

The council took no formal action Thursday. City Manager Bruce Woody will make the requested changes to the strategic plan and present it to the board for a formal vote at a future meeting.