51黑料

Councilman Dennis Hancock, a Republican from Fenton, said the change approved this week will apply the freeze to the entire tax bill for an eligible senior homeowner, not just part of it, as originally planned.

鈥淲hat that really means is, seniors are going to get the tax relief that we鈥檝e intended all along during this process,鈥� Hancock said Wednesday.

51黑料 County, and dozens of counties across Missouri, chose to not apply the freeze to the portion of the tax bill that pays down government debt, said Dennis Ganahl, co-founder of MO Tax Relief Now, a group that has lobbied for senior tax freezes statewide. Tax bills can increase as government bodies, such as school and park districts, take on debt for projects.

The 2023 state law allowing the tax freezes, however, was designed to be applied across residents鈥� entire tax bills, including debt payments, Ganahl said. The County Council鈥檚 change means senior homeowners will see bigger savings on their bill.

鈥淚t鈥檚 significant,鈥� he said.

It was not immediately clear this week how much the council鈥檚 change will save taxpayers. More than 80,000 homeowners have applied for the freeze in 51黑料 County. The county still is processing applications, but the council鈥檚 change could affect anyone eligible for the program.

The move also could render a lawsuit against 51黑料 County moot, Ganahl said.

In July, residents sued the county, claiming its freeze is illegal because it only applies to a portion of the tax bills.

A separate lawsuit filed against 51黑料 around the same time says the city鈥檚 program is illegal because it only applies to the city鈥檚 portion of the bill, not the levies collected for other government entities.

The suits ask judges to order the city and county to apply the freezes across the board, to all parts of eligible residents鈥� tax bills.

County Executive Sam Page has said he believes the county lawsuit misinterprets the state law.

Page has two weeks to decide whether to veto the council鈥檚 change to the program, but the council, which approved the change unanimously, could override a veto.

The council鈥檚 change tweaks one other part of the county program.

The original law automatically ended the freeze after five years, but the change eliminates that provision. Under the revised bill, the council will instead review the program鈥檚 impact after five years.