To the editor:

The most frequent question I’m asked about as a member of the St. Louis County Council is the senior tax freeze. Here is the current status of the program:

In April, the St. Louis County Council unanimously passed a bill that provides for the nine new positions the director of revenue told us were needed to implement the tax freeze. That same bill also provided the funds to purchase and install the software needed to allow seniors to access the program and register online.

As of the date of this letter, July 8, none of the nine positions are hired, and the software has not been purchased.

The responsibility for failing to implement this program rests squarely on the shoulders of St. Louis County Executive Sam Page. This is not finger pointing — this is a fact.

To recap: The St. Louis County Council provided the money to acquire the people and software the administration told us it needed. Despite that, the Page administration continues to do nothing to implement it.

I’ve checked with our attorneys, and there is nothing the council can do to force the administration to implement the program. We will continue to put pressure on the county executive, but apparently providing tax relief for tens of thousands of St. Louis County seniors is not a priority for him.

I wish there was better news to report. There are thousands of people who are waiting for this small measure of relief. The council has done its job; it’s now up to the county executive to do his.

Dennis  Hancock

Fenton

Editor’s note: Dennis Hancock, a Republican, is the 3rd District St. Louis County councilman.