The City of St. Louis has reauthorized a freeze on tax bills for senior homeowners.
The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the measure Friday after a six-week delay. Once signed by Mayor Tishaura Jones, the measure will freeze property tax rates for eligible residents at the level on their 2024 tax bill.
The city first authorized a senior tax freeze last year, and 1,600 people submitted applications to freeze their property taxes at 2023 levels. But aldermen had to act to incorporate changes at the state level. Applications for the program will reopen March 1, 2025.
Residents are eligible for the tax freeze if they are 62 or older and live in a house that is worth $500,000 or less. The home has to be the owner’s primary residence and is not eligible if it was tax-abated or built with the help of tax increment financing. Previously, applicants had to be eligible for Social Security, which meant people in certain occupations like teachers and firefighters did not qualify.
The freeze only applies to the city’s portion of the property tax bill. It will not affect the taxes paid to fund entities like St. Louis Public Schools or the Zoo-Museum District.
