A property tax freeze in St. Louis County for seniors became law Nov. 1 after the deadline for County Executive Sam Page to sign or veto the bill expired.

The bill freezes property tax increases for homeowners who are at least 67 years old, and whose homes are worth $550,000 or less. Qualifying residents will have to apply for the tax break yearly by submitting a form to the county Collector of Revenue.

The legislation also includes a sunset clause that requires it to be renewed by the council in five years.

The earliest homeowners could see tax savings is the next reassessment year in 2025. While taxpayers will still receive assessment notices, taxes will be frozen for those who qualify. Homeowners will be charged taxes based on the value of their property at the point when they submit their application.

The County Council passed the bill by a vote of 4-2 at its Oct. 17 meeting. It was sponsored by 3rd District Councilman Dennis Hancock, R-Fenton, after a similar bill supported by 7th District Councilman Mark Harder, R-Ballwin, failed in July.

The freeze is possible due to legislation passed statewide that gives counties the option to opt into the tax freeze or put it to a public vote. The state law becomes effective Jan. 1, 2024.

“This relief for seniors has been a long time coming. I’m glad to see St. Louis County join counties … in enacting this,” Harder stated in a press release. “This should give seniors a valuable tool to plan their annual finances.”

When asked about the freeze at an unrelated press conference Nov. 1, Page said while he does support tax relief for seniors, he couldn’t sign the bill because “the state legislation is fundamentally flawed and I expect that we will be talking about it for a while and I hope the legislature will work in the coming session to fix that.”