ST CHARLES, Mo. — On Monday night, the St. Charles County Council unanimously approved a property tax freeze for area seniors.
It was made possible after the state legislature passed a bill last session allowing for cities and counties to help out aging homeowners on fixed incomes. This property tax freeze would start next year and would be based on those property values for all St. Charles County residents 62 and older.
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said there has been some pushback from schools concerned about a drop in future revenue.
“It would be all property taxes, not only to the county property tax, which is very, very small, but also the schools, fire districts, ambulance districts, the library, and several others. But it would affect all taxes,” Ehlmann said.
Ehlmann said this is necessary for seniors on fixed incomes who have been heavily impacted by inflation.
In St. Charles County, personal property tax went up by 30% on average.
He said he is confident St. Charles County will continue to grow at a rate that will provide enough revenue.
A resident who spoke at the meeting said he supports it but thinks there needs to be some changes.
“You're going to hold us down to a tax rate that is reflective of this higher valuation that was created by the pandemic, but I suppose it will serve to offset some of the expense associated with losing tax revenue,” St. Charles County resident Don Schoedel said.
Nobody in opposition spoke at the meeting on Monday.
Ehlmann said changes can be made in the future and is actually hoping the legislature can clarify the law in the next session.
The Jefferson County Council also approved a non-binding measure to express support for Missouri's new tax relief for seniors. The council would still need to pass a bill, and it would need to be signed into law before a tax freeze would take effect.
The St. Louis County Council narrowly voted down a property tax freeze for seniors in July, but a new version of the bill is up for perfection at Tuesday's council meeting.
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