A statewide review of tax rates issued today by Missouri auditor Tom Schweich finds that residents in six St. Louis-area districts are paying too much in property taxes.
Schweich's office is required by law to annually review the local property tax rate of the state's 2,800 taxing authorities (that's more than 4,500 rates altogether). The review found the following six districts were levying too high of a rate, leading residents to pay $495,742 in excess property tax:
- City of Kinloch (certified rate of 0.7290, levied rate of 0.7860 on commercial property)
- City of Pagedale (certified rate of 0.2680, levied rate of 0.2690 on residential property)
- Elmwood Park Street and Light District (certified rate of 0.0000, levied rate of 0.4000. This is true for residential, commercial and personal property levies in the district)
- Kinloch Fire Protection District (certified rate of 0.8430, levied rate of 0.9000 on residential property)
- Pattonville R-III School District (certified rate of 3.7550, levied rate of 3.9345 on residential property)
- Village of Velda Village Hills (certified rate of 0.2650, levied rate of 0.4860 on commercial property)
Schweich has referred the six to the Attorney General for possible prosecution. The certified rate is the amount that taxing authorities are allowed to levy based on the restrictions of the Hancock Amendment.
