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FEBRUARY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
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The City Of Sunset Hills will host the February 24, Membership meeting at the Sunset Hills Community Center located at 3915 S. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63127 (MAP). Refreshments will be served starting at 6:30 PM, the business meeting will begin at 7:15 PM.
State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and the Federal Transportation and Infrastructure Bill; what does it all mean for local municipalities? All though there are as many questions as answers, Jim Wild, the Executive Director of East-West Gateway Council of Governments will give his perspective at the February Membership meeting.
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East-West Gateway (EWG) is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the city of St. Louis and surrounding seven counties, including St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties. Incorporated in 1965, EWG provides a forum for cooperative problem-solving and the coordinated development of regional policy. Originally charged with coordinating transportation funding for St. Louis regional projects, EWG’s purview has expanded through the years to bring together governmental officials, planning professionals, citizens, and private sector partners to develop regional and local plans for transportation, environmental quality, housing, emergency preparedness, and access to employment..
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Increasing the State's motor fuel tax had been a League priority for several years. Last legislative session Senator Dave Schatz sponsored SB 262 which battled its way through the legislative process and passed the last week of the session; which we heralded as a success. Unfortunately, there have been several bills filled this year to repeal SB 262, one of which is HB 1594 filed by Representative Sara Walsh which had a hearing on February 8. The League testified in opposition to the bill
Reasons to oppose HB 1594 include:
- HB 1594 will reduce investments in the state’s roads and bridges. When fully implemented, SB 262 is estimated to increase transportation investment in Missouri’s infrastructure by approximately $400 million annually to support the nation’s 7th largest highway system and to move us out of literally last place in funding. An estimated $100 million of that annual total will go to cities and counties for local infrastructure.
- HB 1594 would take away an opportunity to fix roads and bridges that are long past due for maintenance and improvements. Missouri citizens and regional planning organizations have identified $1 billion in annual high priority, unfunded annual transportation needs. Repealing SB 262 will just put Missouri that much farther behind in addressing those needs.
- SB 262 received strong bipartisan support in both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly. It was voted out of the House Transportation Committee 13-0 and passed the House by a vote of 104-52.
- Municipalities and county's will both receive 15% of the motor fuel tax for local bridge and road projects.
Please contact your legislators to oppose the repeal of SB 262.
Upcoming calendar for the Legislative Session:
- February 21, 2022 – Presidents’ Day – No Session
- March 1, 2022 – Last day to file House and Senate bills
- March 14-18, 2022– Spring Break – No Session
- April 18, 2022 – Easter Break – No Session
- May 6, 2022 – State budget must be finalized per the Constitution – 6:00 pm
- May 13, 2022 – Last day of Session per the Constitution – 6:00 pm
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Overall sales tax revenues throughout St. Louis County increased in 2021. The one cent countywide sales tax grew by $11.5 million over 2020. This was a 6.8% increase. The per capita amount for the "B" pool cities increased from $133.51 to $147.91. Per capita amounts for "A" point-of-sale cities varies but nearly all experienced growth in sales tax revenues.
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CHANGING THE MISSOURI CONSTITUTION
HJRs & SJRs
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Every legislative session legislators file House Joint Resolutions (HJRs) and Senate Joint Resolutions (SJRs) which are an enactment of the General Assembly that places a proposed state constitutional amendment before the voters for approval. Currently there have been 18 SJRs and 59 HJRs filed. Topics range from parental rights to modifying the personal property tax payment process. This year there are a number of Joint Resolutions dealing with the initiative petition process for placing constitutional amendments before the voters, most would make the process more difficult.
Representative Mike Henderson's HJR 79 was heard on January 6, before the Elections and Elected Officials Committee, and is now on the perfection calendar after being voted out of the Rule Administrative Oversight Committee on January 31.
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Currently to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot, 8% of the registered voters in the six of the eight congressional districts must sign a petition supporting the measure and a simple majority must approve it at the ballot. Under Henderson's proposal, 10% of registered voters in all eight congressional districts would need to sigh the measure and two-thirds of voters would need approve the measure to take effect.
From some legislator's perspective, they feel special interest groups bypass the legislative process, and the special interest groups feel they have no choice because the legislators won't pass their proposals. Most recently the constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana is a good example. The real debate should be, how and when to change the constitution. It will be interesting see how the voters feel if HJR 79 is passed in the House and Senate and goes before the electorate.
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USE TAX - PROP U and PROP C
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Currently, 38 municipalities in St. Louis County have passed the use tax and 26 cities are placing it on the April 2022 ballot. The League is coordinating an educational campaign with St. Louis County as well seeking supporters to promote the passage of the use taxes.
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For those cities that already have the use tax, it is import that you educate and inform your residents on St. Louis County's use tax, PROP C. All municipalities will receive a per capita distribution of the county's one-cent sales and half-cent public safety sales tax that can used for vital services at the local level.
You can visit the League's website at https://www.stlmuni.org/2022/02/07/use-tax-information-and-updates/ for informational materials you can use to educate voters. More information will be available as we get closer to the election day on April 5.
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Great Rivers Greenway's (GRG) mission is to make the St. Louis region a more vibrant place to live, work and play by developing a regional network of greenways.
GRG is a public agency, created by a vote of the people in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County in the year 2000 to create a sales tax dedicated to parks and greenways. With those funds GRG looks to collaborate with partners and communities to build, care for and bring to life your network of greenways, creating healthy habitats and watersheds along the way. Today, GRG has constructed more the 128 miles of greenways throughout the region.
GRG is looking for your help in planning for the future by taking a few minutes to complete the Envision 2022 survey. The survey results will help to prioritize future projects and create a long-term approach for addressing conservation, safety, maintenance, equity and other issues that with input from St. Louisans. To take the survey go to: https://greatriversgreenway.org/envision-2022-survey/ .
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Missouri Municipal League
The Annual MML Legislative Conference is scheduled for February 15-16 in Jefferson City. For more information and to regisister go to; 2022 Legislative Conference.
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MISSOURI AMERICAN WATER TO INVEST MILLIONS
IN ST. LOUIS REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
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Missouri American Water plans to invest $52 million in St. Louis County over the next few months, replacing 95,000 feet of water main to increase service reliability and enhance fire flow. In total this year, the company plans to invest $300 million in the St. Louis region and $400 million statewide. Missouri American Water, a Greater St. Louis, Inc. Chair’s Council member, said it will invest a total of $2 billion across the state over the next five years. Safe, reliable infrastructure is critical to regional growth and development. Learn more.
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