CLAYTON — ºüÀêÊÓƵ County will reconsider a plan to give senior-citizen homeowners a property tax break after rejecting it last month.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Councilman Dennis Hancock, a Republican from Fenton, said he expected to reintroduce the legislation at Tuesday night’s council meeting. He thinks the political timing for the plan is better now — the council is also considering a tax break for Boeing’s secret, $2 billion expansion project.
“I think there were some (councilmembers) last time who could’ve gone either way,†Hancock said Monday. “It might be an opportunity to have more pointed conversations with some of them.â€
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But as of Monday afternoon, none of the councilmembers who opposed the tax break for seniors had changed their minds, they said.
The issue hit the council this spring.
The Missouri Legislature had approved a plan to freeze property taxes for seniors. Under the bill, seniors could get the break if they were eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, owned a home and were required to make tax payments on that home. Any county could adopt the measure with an ordinance or by voter approval.
In May, ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Councilman Mark Harder, a Republican from Ballwin, introduced a bill to do so, despite the county facing a projected $44 million deficit. The move received overwhelming praise from seniors at county council meetings.
But in mid-July, four of the seven councilmembers voted against it. Democrats Shalonda Webb of unincorporated north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, Lisa Clancy of Maplewood, Kelli Dunaway of Chesterfield and Rita Heard Days of Bel-Nor had concerns about its financial impact on schools and fire districts, and worried it could be a windfall for wealthy seniors, among other things.
Just days later, news of Boeing’s $2 billion expansion broke. The military-industrial giant was looking to expand in north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County and would bring 500 new jobs to the region. The company wouldn’t say what it wanted to build — or even if it would build — but the aerospace industry has long been ramping up for a national competition to build the next generation of U.S. fighter jets.
And Boeing was asking the council for a tax break, too: an estimated $155 million over 10 years.
Dunaway said it didn’t seem fair to give “millions in corporate welfare to Boeing†on the heels of rejecting tax relief for seniors.
Then, on Monday, Hancock asked the council to consider a return to the senior tax-relief bill.
While ºüÀêÊÓƵ County would give Boeing half-off on the project’s real and personal property taxes, taxing districts would also see an estimated $155 million of new taxes on the other half, Hancock said. That money could be used to cover losses from the senior property tax break, he said.
Harder, who first introduced the property tax legislation, said that he supports Hancock’s effort.
“If people feel Boeing should get this, then maybe seniors should also get some type of tax break,†Harder said.
Hancock will need at least one of the Democrats to change her vote.
On Tuesday, all four said nothing had changed for them.
“Without changes, I will not be supportive,†Days said.
If the new senior tax bill passes, the county assessor would still calculate real estate values in the same way, said Sarah Siegel of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ County assessor’s office — it would only freeze the amount homeowners owe, she said. The county assessor would still assess the value according to Missouri law, and taxpayers would still receive the same assessment notices.
The county Collector of Revenue would factor in the freeze and calculate the amount of taxes an eligible homeowner must pay. Seniors could benefit as soon as 2025, after the next property assessments.
The timeline for Boeing’s project is not public. The county council could consider project tax breaks as soon as Tuesday. If the company doesn’t land a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, the deals would likely be moot.
The senior property tax legislation is .