The next membership meeting will be held at 7:30 pm on Thursday, March 24 at the Black Jack City Hall, 12500 Old Jamestown Rd. Map  (Directions:  from I-270 go east to the New Halls Ferry Rd. exit.   Go straight across New Halls Ferry onto the service road for 1/4 mile to Old Halls Ferry.  Turn left onto Old Halls Ferry  and go over I-270.  Continue 2 miles on Old Halls Ferry as it becomes Parker Road.  Continue east on Parker Road past Walgreens to the stop light at Old Jamestown.  Turn left on Old Jamestown.  City Hall is next to an apartment complex on the right.)

Program: MSD Executive Director Brian Hoelscher will discuss two important ballot issues that will be submitted to voters in April.

The first is Proposition Y which asks voters whether bonds should be approved to fund required work to address basement backups and sewer overflows into area streams.  With no bonds rates will increase significantly to do the required work.

The second question, Proposition S, relates to stormwater and  would establish equalized rates across the City and County.  Currently, there are differing stormwater rates in the MSD service areas which leads to varying levels of stomwater management or, in some cases, no service at all.  This would allow stormwater work throughout the County.

The next Municipal Officials Training Academy program is set for  Thursday, March 24 from Noon to 1:15 p.m.  The program is entitled “Funding Municipal Improvements & Economic Development.”  The speakers will be Kim Diamond and Dan Manning of the Cunningham Vogel and Rost law firm.

Content includes:

• Explanation of taxes and other revenue sources (Including NID, CID, TDD, and TIF)
• Administration of special districts and development incentives
• Best practices of financing techniques
• How to get the most out of economic development incentives and working with developers.

The session is designed for finance officers/directors, economic development directors, city administrators/Managers, elected officials; municipal attorneys and city clerks.

The cost is $10 per person unless the city has an annual subscription. Please make checks payable to and mail to the St. Louis County Municipal League.

Registration by Wednesday, March 23 is encouraged to ensure that all materials are emailed to participants prior to the Webinar. Click HERE to register for the webinar or contact the League for in-person registration.

While the Missouri Legislature is continuing with hearings, floor debate has also begun in earnest involving some bills of municipal interest.  Municipal officials can receive the newsletter and regular updates by email.  Send us your email address if you are interested.

(S) support; (O) Oppose (NP) No position

Sales Tax – Two bills have been filed at the League’s request to implement recommended changes to the sales tax system.  SB 1123 (Schupp) and HB 2676 (Adams) – would authorize a 1/4 cent countywide sales tax for police service for St. Louis County government. If voters approve the tax, the County would then  become a point-of-sale entity and  give up the annexation adjustment for the one cent and 1/4 cent taxes.  The County would receive about $25 million in new revenue.  All municipalities would see a sales tax increase of about $18 per capita.  The sharing of the 1/4 cent would end so cities levying this tax would retain 100% of the revenue generated. SB 1123 has been assigned to the Local Government Committee. (S)

HB 1561 (Leara) – In St. Louis County, establishes a base year 2014 one cent sales tax and if future years are higher, pool cities would keep 50% of the amount generated over the base year generated amount.  A 1/2 cent public safety sales tax for unincorporated St. Louis County was added to this bill.  It has been voted out of committee but is not yet on the Perfection Calendar.  SB 788 (Schatz) is a similar bill that was heard in the Local Government Committee on February 24.

HB 2299 (Burns)  – Authorizes the 1/2 cent sales tax in St. Louis County for public safety noted above.  Heard in the Local Government Committee on 2/16.  The Senate version, SB  834 (Sifton), was heard in the Local Government Committee February 24. (NP)

Court Fines – SB 572 (Schmitt) – Has several provisions relating to court fines:

• The bill treats nuisance violations the same as traffic violations in SB 5; this greatly impedes a community’s ability to hold nuisance violators responsible;
• Lowers from $300 to $200 the maximum allowable fine for traffic and municipal ordinance violations for abatement of debris on property and, weeds and trash violations;
• Expands to include nuisance violations in the percentage cap on revenues as defined in SB 5;
• If the city collects to much court revennue, the bill lowers the percentage vote on disincorporation from sixty percent to a simple majority.

SB 572 has passed the Senate and was schedule for a hearing in the House Civil & Criminal Proceedings Committee on March 16.  Contact Representatives to urge opposition. (O)

Gas Tax – SB 623 (Libla) – Raises gas tax by 1.5 cents and diesel tax by 3.5 cents.  Transportation Committee.  Heard 1/13.  Passed Committee 1/20.  It is on the Senate Informal Perfection Calendar. (S)

TIF – HCS HB 1434 & 600 (Koening) – If TIF commission in St.  Louis area rejects a proposal but the city approves it, TIF funds cannot exceed the redevelopment project costs for demolition of buildings and the clearing and grading of land.  It has been voted out of committee but is not yet on the Perfection Calendar.  The Senate version,  SB 805 (Onder), is on the Perfection Calendar. (O)

Disincorporation – HB 1686 (Burns) – Allows municipal disincorporation in St. Louis County with petition of 25% of voters and majority election.  It has been voted out of committee but is not yet on the Perfection Calendar.

Elections – HB 2111 (Eggleston) – Increases population limit from 1000 to 2000 for cities eliminate elections when the number of candidates equals the number of seats to be filled.  Passed the House February 29. (S)

Vehicle Tax – HB 2140 (Hoskins) – Extends to 2020 the deadline to submit out-of-state auto taxes to voters.  It has passed the House and is on the Senate 3rd Reading Calendar.

Police Issues – SCS/SBs 661, 726 & 741 (Dixon) – Changes law regarding use of deadly force by police officers.  It is on the Perfection Calendar.

Limits on Municipal Class Action Suits – Several bills have been introduced to limits cities’ ability to join class action suits over the collection of taxes.  The bills are:  HB 2242 & HB 2243 (Cornejo) and SB 1003 & SB 1004 (Onder) and all four have come out of their respective committees

39 municipalities and St. Louis County have placed on the April ballot the question of retaining the out-of-state vehicle licensing fee.  It also applies to person-to-person sales.  The auto dealers association has provided 3500 signs urging voters to support this proposal.  These are available for St. Louis and St. Charles County cities that have Proposition B on the ballot.  In addition, the MML has several useful items on its website for use by cities who have the tax on the ballot.  It is a password protected site, so if you do not have one you will need to register at www.mocities.com

Is your municipality an award winner?  You will never know unless you nominate your community, collaborating cities, or a group in your municipality for a 2016 Muni Award presented by the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis.

Since their inception, the Muni Awards have provided an opportunity for League members from across the County to come together to recognize their fellow municipalities and take home the Muni Award for their hometown.

You can be a winner this year by nominating your city or a group within your city for achievement in one of the following categories:  Arts & Culture; Citizen Engagement; Collaboration; Parks, Recreation & Wellness; Public Safety and Sustainability & Preservation.

To nominate, send a letter to the League office identifying the city, organization or person and why that group or individual should be recognized for accomplishment in one of the designated categories.

Nominations must be received at the Municipal League office by April 15.  Winning a Muni Award tells your residents what you are doing right for your community.  Then, join us on May 26, 2016 at Greenbriar Hills Country Club in Kirkwood when the Muni Award winners will be announced and new Municipal League officers will be installed.

If you have questions about the nominating process, contact Steve Ables at 314-726-4747 or [email protected].  We will see you on May 26th and hope to hand you a Muni Award!