CLAYTON — ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Councilman Ernie Trakas said if the council rejects legislation to pay for implementing a , the program won’t go into effect before the end of the year.
Trakas introduced a bill earlier this month to set aside $1.7 million for the Department of Revenue to put the freeze into place. Preliminary tax reassessments begin going out in spring 2025.
“Every week that passes, the chance closes that we’ll have a program up and running in 2024,†said Trakas, who has been working with revenue officials on the freeze.
The council refused to advance his request Tuesday, saying they want more detail from revenue officials. They wondered how many employees the county will need, and how much software will cost to get the program up and running.
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“Yes, we need to implement this program, but we need to fund it,†Republican Councilman Mark Harder of Ballwin said. “This isn’t the right number in my opinion.â€
The tax freeze became law last November, but county officials haven’t released details about how homeowners can apply. ºüÀêÊÓƵ and St. Charles County have already launched their programs.
County Executive Sam Page in December warned cuts the council approved could affect his administration’s ability to enact the program.
Residents older than 67 will have to apply for the tax break by submitting a form annually to the county Collector of Revenue. The law includes a $550,000 cap on the value of eligible homes.
The collector’s office will freeze taxes for those who qualify. Homeowners will pay on the value of their homes at the time they apply. But the law doesn’t change the way the assessor values real estate, and taxpayers will still receive assessment notices.