ST. LOUIS — Voters in Missouri are taking to the polls Tuesday, April 5 to weigh in on important municipal elections.
Several cities and counties are considering amendments, propositions and taxes.
Cities including Clayton, Manchester, Maryland Heights, Shrewsbury, University City, Webster Groves are electing mayors.
Cities like Brentwood, Hazelwood, Maplewood, and Richmond Heights are electing alderpersons and councilpersons. And dozens of school districts are electing school board members.
Voter information
Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tap here to check your Missouri voter registration status. The voter registration deadline was March 9.
Tap here for St. Louis County polling locations. The county Board of Elections says there are 750,000 registered voters in St. Louis County. Tap here for additional voting information and FAQs. See the St. Louis County ballot content report here.
Tap here for St. Charles County polling locations. See the St. Charles County sample ballot here. Records have the St. Charles voter total at 285,665.
On the ballot
Here are some of the measures voters are considering on April 5 in municipal elections in Missouri.
Use tax
Many municipalities are voting on a use tax for local purchases from out-of-state online vendors. The tax would be the same as the local sales tax charged by local businesses.
A state-wide use tax goes into effect in 2023, but cities and counties have to ask voters to approve similar measures for their jurisdictions.
City of St. Louis Prop R
City residents are voting on an amendment to the City of St. Louis charter after the ward redistricting process at the end of 2021.
The summary of the proposition reads:
- Prohibit Alderpersons from taking actions on policies where they have a personal or financial conflict of interest;
- Require that Alderpersons’ financial disclosure statements be open to the public;
- Have ward boundary maps drawn by an independent citizens commission, which shall have a diverse group of members, hold public hearings, and draw maps that keep neighborhoods and communities together;
- Prohibit lobbyists, Alderpersons, and others with conflicts of interest from serving on the independent citizens commission; and
- Protect the rights of voters by prohibiting the Board of Alderpersons from overturning the will of the people on voting methods for municipal offices without a public vote?
The proposition needs three-fifths majority vote to pass. It would go into effect for the 2030 Census.
St. Louis County Prop A
A simple majority is required to pass this amendment.
The text of the proposition reads:
Shall the Charter of St. Louis County be amended to require that all costs associated with employees appointed by the County Executive be covered under the County Executive’s budget and to eliminate the authority of department heads to employ one executive assistant and one secretary for each of them outside of the merit system, as set forth in Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 28,307, on file with the St. Louis County Administrative Director and the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners?
St. Louis County Proposition B
A simple majority is required to pass this amendment.
The text of the proposition reads:
Shall the Charter of St. Louis County be amended to change the requirements for the position of county executive so that the county executive shall hold no other employment nor shall the county executive perform work as an independent contractor during the term of office and that a violation of either of these restrictions shall cause the county executive to forfeit the office and the office shall be declared vacant as set forth in Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 28,308, on file with the St. Louis County Administrative Director and the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners?
St. Louis County Proposition C
A simple majority is required to pass this amendment.
The text of the proposition reads:
Shall St. Louis County impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate, provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action?
St. Louis County Proposition D
A simple majority is required to pass this amendment.
The text of the proposition reads:
Shall St. Louis County be authorized to enter into a lease agreement with Raintree Foundation for a building and surrounding ground located in Queeny Park for the operation of a pre-primary and primary grade school pursuant to the terms as set forth in Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 28,324, on file with the St. Louis County Administrative Director and the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners?
St. Charles County Prop R
The text of the proposition reads:
Shall the County of St. Charles extend the countywide transportation sales tax at the rate of one-half on one percent for a period of ten (10) years from the expiration of the current tax for the purpose of traffic relief, construction, reconstruction and repair of roads and bridges within St. Charles County? No tax increase will result from the passage of this proposition.