To the editor:

This letter is a response to the County Council’s vote not to give St. Louis County seniors a freeze on real estate taxes in July.

Four Democrats voted no and three Republicans voted yes and the same old reason, the children, the firemen and the police, when a politician has nothing else it is the great scare tactic.

I have lived in St. Louis County for over 50 years, have five children, all educated in St. Louis County on my own money, not the county’s money.

I also live in Crestwood and all I heard from Lindbergh school board when Crestwood Plaza was being redesigned, they were against any type of housing as it did not give them the same revenue as retail stores and restaurants. I guess the council missed that one.

I would also like to mention when a couple years back St. Louis County passed a sales tax increase for police and fire fighters pay increase. Crestwood just passed a similar tax for police and fire fighters for new equipment and personnel. Also, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Maplewood, Affton and many more high schools are extremely old but kept in good condition. Lindbergh tears down a school about 50 years old and builds a new one. They also spend millions of dollars on green space. What a joke. These are just a few examples that the council should have looked at.

Please seniors in St. Louis County when it is time to vote for your Council person check his/her record. Four Democrats said no to seniors and three Republicans said yes. Their names and location are published in The Call Newspaper dated July 27, 2023.

Jim Giljum

Crestwood

Editor’s note: St. Louis County Councilman Mark Harder, who sponsored the first piece of senior property tax freeze legislation, said that he would be introducing a similar piece of legislation at the council’s Sept. 26 meeting, after The Call went to press.