The Facts About Personal Property and Real Estate Taxes in St. Charles County

Taxes are always a hot topic when election season rolls around.

It happens every cycle — some candidates repeat the same refrain:

 “Taxes are too high, and we need to cut them.”

Let’s be honest — no one likes paying taxes. And Government, at every level, should be careful stewards of public money, to cut waste, and make sure every dollar is used wisely.

But we also have to be honest about what it costs to run government and how those services get funded.

 The Truth About Personal Property Tax

Lately, the subject of cutting personal property taxes for everyone has been spreading on social media.

Some have even claimed that, if elected County Executive, they can “end” personal property tax in St. Charles County.

That sounds good — but it’s not allowed under Missouri law.

Under Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 137, the County Collector must collect personal property taxes on behalf of ALL taxing entities within the county.

That includes:

 School districts

 Fire protection districts

 Ambulance districts

 Library districts

 City governments

 And the County government itself

Each one of those entities sets its own rate — and the County has NO legal authority to alter or eliminate their rates.

Under the St. Charles County Charter, both the County Executive and the County Council only control the County’s own portion of personal property taxes — not what belongs to schools, fire, or other districts.

So when someone says they’ll “get rid of personal property tax for everyone,” they’re promising something Missouri law won’t allow them to do.

 What the County Can Do

Currently, St. Charles County’s portion of your personal property tax bill is only about 2–3% of the total you pay.

Those dollars are earmarked for two essential funds and are not part of the General Fund:

 Road & Bridge Fund

 Dispatch & Alarm Fund

 Road & Bridge Fund

This is a sunset tax — meaning it must be renewed by voters every 10 years.

Since it was first approved in 1985, voters have never given it less than 73% approval.

Half of this fund goes to the County but the other half goes to the cities for local road projects.

That means when a city plans a road project, they can request funds from the County Road Board to help pay for it.

This partnership has helped build over $1 billion in road and bridge improvements across St. Charles County — including major projects like the Page Extension (Highway 364) to Interstate 64/40.

 Dispatch & Alarm Fund

This fund supports our 911 Emergency Communications Center, making sure police, fire, and ambulance services can respond quickly and effectively when seconds count.

Without this fund, the County would need to find another way to cover these life-saving costs.

 What About Real Estate Taxes?

Another frequent claim is that “Real estate taxes are too high.”

Again — Missouri law is clear — the County can only control its own portion of the real estate tax rate, not the rates of schools, fire, or library districts.

And here’s what many people don’t realize:

 The County’s portion of your real estate tax bill has been $0 for years!

Yes — zero.

Because of the Hancock Amendment (Article X of the Missouri Constitution), which limits revenue growth and forces automatic rollbacks, the County’s real estate tax rate has been rolled back to $0.00 year after year.

When you receive your annual tax bill, look at the top line:

“St. Charles County Government” — that line says $0.00.

So when someone says “the County’s real estate tax is too high,” the numbers tell the truth:

 $0 is not too high.

 Here’s What Missouri Law Says

 Missouri Constitution – Article VI, Section 18(c):

Charter counties like St. Charles can govern their local affairs — but they cannot override state tax law or eliminate taxes set by other political subdivisions.

 Missouri Revised Statutes – Chapter 137:

Outlines how personal property and real estate taxes are assessed and levied. Each taxing entity sets its own rate.

 St. Charles County Charter:

Defines the roles of the County Executive and County Council — both can manage county funds, propose budgets, and set the County’s tax rate, but only for county operations.

 The Bottom Line

 The County Executive and Council can reduce or eliminate the County’s own portion of personal property tax.

 They cannot eliminate personal property tax for all other taxing districts.

 The County’s real estate tax rate is $0.00.

 The Road & Bridge fund has helped build over $1 billion in infrastructure across our county.

 The County is not allowed to collect the voter-approved marijuana tax if it is located in a municipality.

 My Promise to You

As your representative, I’ll always tell you the truth — even when it’s not the easy answer.

I’ll continue to look for ways to make government more efficient, more transparent, and more accountable — but I won’t make promises that state law doesn’t allow us to keep.

Because transparency builds trust — and trust is what good government is built on. Performance Politics gets people excited, but usually lets people down and destroys trust.

If it sounds too good to be true...