It’s with a strong sense of deja vu that we enthusiastically endorse the Mehlville Fire Protection District’s two tax-rate-decrease measures — Proposition 1 and Proposition 2 — that voters will consider in the April 7 election.

If Proposition 1 is approved by a simple majority of voters, the district’s general-fund tax-rate ceiling would be permanently reduced by 36 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

If a simple majority of voters approve Proposition 2, the district’s pension-fund tax-rate ceiling would be permanently reduced by 4 cents per $100.

Approval of Proposition 1 and Proposition 2 would equate to a tax-rate reduction of $10,440,000 per year.

In our endorsement of the fire district’s Proposition TD, or Tax De-crease, two years ago, we urged voters to enthusiastically vote “yes” on it — “a perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for residents to essentially set their own tax rate.”

Proposition TD, placed on the April 3, 2007, ballot, sought to permanently reduce the district’s general-fund tax-rate ceiling by 45 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, a total tax reduction of roughly $9.75 million per year.

However, south county voters were denied the ability to vote on Proposition TD courtesy of a lawsuit filed by Dennis Skelton of Concord on Feb. 7, 2007. District voters later repaid Mr. Skelton by rejecting his write-in candidacy for a seat on the MFPD board.

In a ruling handed down Feb. 8, 2007, St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge James R. Hartenbach ordered the Board of Election Commissioners to remove Proposition TD from the April 3 ballot, though not really explaining why.

We must admit we were stunned that someone would oppose a tax-rate-decrease proposal, let alone file suit to remove it from the ballot.

However, legislation signed in July by then-Gov. Matt Blunt clearly states that tax-rate-decrease proposals can be placed on the ballot and considered by voters. That measure, Senate Bill 711, was sponsored by former Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, who told the Call’s Burke Wasson, “… Personally, I think they have the right to do that anyway. I was surprised at the court’s action. But to the extent that there was any ambiguity or lack of clarity, it should be clear now.”

We believe Mr. Gibbons’ legislative intent is crystal clear.

Once again, we enthusiastically endorse Proposition 1 and Proposition 2, which we believe will be overwhelmingly approved by district voters.