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St. Louis-area voters approve big money for sewer improvements

Abandoned vehicles are submerged in floodwater on the 900th block of North Skinker on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, during historic rainfall and flooding in St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Abandoned vehicles are submerged in floodwater on the 900th block of North Skinker in July 2022 during historic rainfall and flooding in the St. Louis region. Voters on Tuesday approved two Metropolitan Sewer District ballot measures to improve sewers in the region.

St. Louis-area voters have approved two Metropolitan Sewer District ballot measures.

79% of voters in St. Louis and St. Louis County voted yes on Proposition W, which authorizes a $750 million bond issue to pay for federally mandated sewer improvements.

Prop W will allow the MSD to sell bonds and spread out the cost of work. Residents will see rates increase by about 7% annually over the next four years. An average monthly bill would rise from about $61 in 2025 to about $75 in 2028.

Proposition S received 57% yes votes. That measure will raise property taxes to fund more than 500 sewer improvement projects over the next 20 years.

The 7.45 cent (per $100 assessed valuation) residential property tax will raise more than $35 million a year. The bill for a home valued at $200,000 will increase $28.31 per year. Prop S will also enact a monthly charge for public and private, nonresidential properties with more than 1,000 square feet of impervious surfaces, like concrete and asphalt.

Any qualifying property owner will see an increase of $1.05 per month for every 1,000 square feet. Prop S will provide funding for the MSD to complete more than 500 stormwater improvement projects in St. Louis and St. Louis County by 2045.

Proposition S came in response to severe flash flooding in the area two years ago. On July 26, 2022, it took just 12 hours to reach 25% of St. Louis' average annual rainfall.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Lauren Brennecke contributed to this report.

Brian Moline is an editor at St. Louis Public Radio, working on the education and business/economic development beats.