ST. LOUIS—As state lawmakers consider tweaks to a 2023 law that let local governments pass their own property tax freezes for certain seniors, St. Charles County and the city of St. Louis have launched application portals for eligible homeowners looking to take advantage.
In St. Charles County, homeowners 62 and older can apply for a credit that would apply to all taxing jurisdictions.
In the city of St. Louis, homeowners 62 and older with homes worth $500,000 or less can apply for a credit that would only apply to the city’s real estate property tax.
The application deadline in both locations is June 30.
St. Louis County passed a similar measure but County Executive Sam Page told County Council members implementing the program could be delayed due to budget cuts. A County Council source tells Spectrum News it could be months before something is in place. A Page spokesperson did not return messages seeking comment Monday.
Last year, Gov. Mike Parson signed SB 190, which allowed counties to pass their own local legislation granting property tax credits to homeowners eligible for social security benefits who would then have their property taxes frozen at the current rate. It also allowed for a petition process to put the question up for a county-level public vote.
The state legislation was seen as a way to help seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes, who have been priced out of their homes amid rising property tax levels.
But even supporters of the legislation’s goals say it created headaches for local lawmakers because it didn’t define clearly enough who is eligible or establish which taxing authorities would be subject to the freeze.
As it stands now, the law says homeowners must be eligible for Social Security benefits. A bill that has passed out of a House committee says the homeowner must be at least 62 years old and that the freeze would apply to all taxing entities and would not allow counties to “set income, property or other stricter limits,” according to the bill’s fiscal note.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ben Keathley, R-Chesterfield, told those gathered at a St. Louis County GOP presidential caucus site this past weekend he hoped the bill would pass the House and head for the Senate.,
State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, has authored a Senate bill that would also specify eligibility to age 62 and older. It passed out of a Senate committee last week and could be debated on the floor as early as Monday afternoon.