On the Issues...
Property Tax Relief
I believe that everyone should pay their fair share of taxes. No more. No less. In St. Louis County, we are quickly moving away from fair property taxation. Recent increases in property assessments have made owning a home expensive. This problem is especially pronounced for seniors living on fixed incomes.
As I talk with people throughout this district, I hear many concerns about this issue. For some people, the rising tax rates break their budgets. For others, the higher rates are forcing them to choose between supporting public education or paying their taxes, like in the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District. Recently, that district has attempted to pass bond issues without success. I have been told multiple times from people throughout the district that one of the main reasons people vote against proposed bond issues is that property taxes are already too high, and they just cannot afford another increase.
Senior citizens on fixed incomes are particularly affected by the higher property taxes. This is just plain wrong. Senior citizens, who have been paying into the system for years, should not have to suffer from property assessment increases. After decades of paying property taxes, senior citizens deserve relief. In last year’s legislative session, Representative Mike Frame introduced a bill exempting residential property owned by individuals 62 years of age or older from increases in assessed valuation. Similar legislation has recently passed in the State Senate. These laws will alleviate some of the financial hardships our senior citizens face, as well as give school districts throughout Missouri, such as the Maplewood-Richmond Heights school district, an easier opportunity to secure more funding through local initiatives such as bond issues. I fully support this bill and will work to see its passage as State Representative.
