ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Senior citizens living in St. Louis County will see a tax freeze on their property taxes starting next year. County council members voted to approve the freeze this evening, with certain conditions attached to the bill.
County council members said during Tuesday’s meeting they are working together to find compromises to get seniors relief in the form of a tax freeze.
Some of those compromises include a $550,000 cap, raising the age for eligible seniors to 67, and adding a sunset clause to the bill, meaning the council can decide to change the bill at any point.
Not everyone agrees with passing the bill.
“I appreciate the compromises that were made. But here with those compromises, there is still a clause, and that clause is if any of those compromises are challenged in court, and they lose, then we go back to what the state initially gave us,” Councilwoman Shalonda Webb said. “We know as a county, as a governing body, as this council, we did not agree what the county gave us back in the summer.”
Another concern discussed during the meeting is how the bill will affect schools and first responders. Councilman Dennis Hancock said schools and first responders will not see a cut in their tax revenue. The county said around 46,000 properties out of more than 440,000 in the county are eligible to apply for the freeze.
“What we’re hoping for is (Sam Page) sees the common sense of following the lead with the two other largest counties in the state, and we hope he has the good sense to give seniors the same kind of tax abatement treatment that he gave Boeing,” said Dennis Ganahl, MO Tax Relief Now.
