September 26, 2024 Des Peres MoDot
October 24, 2024 Brentwood Park Commissioners
December 12, 2024 Maryland Heights Holiday Open House
January 23, 2025 Creve Coeur TBD
February 27, 2025 Bridgeton TBD
March 27, 2025 Ellisville TBD
April 24, 2025 Florissant TBD
May 22, 2025 Renaissance Airport Annual Installation Dinner
Tentative schedule. Check the online calendar & subsequent newsletters for updates.
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Municipal League Annual Dues
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The Municipal League mailed the Annual Membership Dues Statement and the Annual Report of League Activities to municipal and affiliate members on July 1st (the beginning of the League's fiscal year). If you have not paid yet, please mail checks or call for card payments. We appreciate your continued support!
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Department of Justice Grants
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Last month, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri held a grants seminar to outline the funding opportunities available to local governments across our region. Email League staff for slides that summarize all grant programs or visit the DOJ's Bureau of Justice Assistance webpage to see a list of grants that are currently available.
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St. Louis County Manager Bill
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St. Louis County Council Bill 153, which is up for perfection, proposes to amend the county charter to establish a county manager form of government. The county manager would serve an appointed four year term as the chief administrative officer of the county at the discretion of the county executive and county council.
If this bill passes, the proposal would be decided by voters at the November 5th General Election. A public forum/committee of the whole is expected in August.
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St. Louis County has posted the “2024 Assessment Roll 07022024” and “2024 July TIF Incremental Values” reports on its PDFs website at: http://revenue.stlouisco.com/pdfs/ .
The Assessor will soon be posting the “2024 New Construction CERT” report as well.
The Collector’s office mailed the Collector’s 2024 Tax Rates Billing Schedule letter to all taxing authorities.
IMPORTANT DATES
October 1 The statutory tax rate deadline.
Mid-September Post-BOE Assessment reports will be published. This is the assessment data that will be used to calculate your 2024 tax rates.
and 2024 Vehicle Fee Request letters.
August 31 Return 2024 Sewer Lateral Fee Confirmation and 2024 Vehicle Fee Request letters to St. Louis County.
It is important to note that assessment valuation information is within the scope of the Assessor’s office. However, the Collector Division is instrumental in preparing the assessment-related reporting that is published online. Assessment valuation questions should be directed to the Assessor’s office.
The earlier that you can provide the tax rates and pro forma documentation, the quicker we can move forward with the billing process. Tax bills go out, revenue comes in.
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Missouri American Water is reaching out to customers asking for help to Get the Lead Out
Missouri American Water customers in St. Louis and St. Charles counties are receiving annual compliance letters as a requirement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) Revised Lead and Copper Rule. The revised rule requires all water service providers to identify and report service line material and to make this information publicly available.
Customers receiving this letter have service line material known to be lead, galvanized, or an unknown material. Because property owners have historically owned either all or most of the service line (typically from the property line to the home or business), Missouri American Water does not have a complete record of the installed service line material and is requesting customer support.
Customers are being asked to identify unknown service line material by either self-reporting or having a professional inspect the customer owned side. Also, if known to be lead, the company wants to work with the customer to replace the lead service line at no direct cost to the customer. Missouri American Water has created an interactive webpage and map allowing its customers to view and report their service line material of their property. The map can be found at here.
For more information on the program, click here.
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Miller v. Ziegler Court Case
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The lawsuit involved three plaintiffs: Rockne Miller, an ex-Missouri legislator; John LaVanchy, a specialist in committee records for the General Assembly; and Presidio Environmental, LLC, a firm interested in hiring Miller as a lobbyist. They contested a recent Missouri Constitutional amendment enforcing a two-year lobbying prohibition on former legislators and staff. Miller and LaVanchy claimed the ban barred them from lobbying careers, while Presidio argued it restricted their ability to employ Miller for lobbying.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri ruled in favor of the Missouri Ethics Commission, sustaining the lobbying prohibition. The court deemed the ban aligned with the First Amendment, being narrowly tailored to serve a significant state interest in curbing corruption or its semblance.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit examined the case anew. It decided that the lobbying prohibition impinged on political speech, necessitating strict scrutiny. The court determined Missouri hadn't shown ample evidence of actual or perceived corruption the ban was designed to combat. It also found the ban not narrowly tailored, labeling it over-inclusive and under-inclusive, thus failing to effectively target corruption.
The Eighth Circuit concluded that the two-year lobbying ban infringed upon the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights. It overturned the district court's decision and sent the case back for additional proceedings.
For a copy of the opinion: Miller v. Ziegler
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Governor Parson Signs Bills
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On June 28th, the Governor signed the Fiscal Year 2025 budget which included 173 line-item vetoes. Since that time, he has held bill signing ceremonies to formally sign all of the policy bills into law. Those bills are highlighted below for your convenience. There was only one policy bill, SB 751, relating to the distribution of 340B pharmaceuticals, that the Governor did not sign in a formal ceremony. The bill, which goes into effect on August 28, 2024, will become law despite the Governor’s concerns outlined in his letter. Other than the vetoes to the budget, no other vetoes were issued by the Governor. Lawmakers can attempt to override those vetoes, should they choose to do so, during the annual veto session on September 11, 2024.
SB 1388 authorizes a sales tax exemption for certain nuclear facilities.
HB 2057 relating to municipal franchise fees for video service providers.
SB 894 promotion of business development.
SB 756 provides minor clarifications to SB 190 (2023) for political subdivisions
when providing property tax relief to seniors.
SB 754 relating to public safety.
HB 1912 modifies provisions relating to the taxation of pass-through entities.
SB 872 modifies provisions relating to the taxation of utility infrastructure.
HB 2134 modifies permit requirements and exemptions in relation to Missouri
fertilizer and clean water laws.
HB 2062 relating to the establishment of land banks.
SB 895 modifies provisions relating to landlord-tenant actions, including eviction
proceeding moratoriums and filings for transfers of real property with
outstanding collectible judgements.
HB 1495 directs the Missouri Veterans Commission to review current practices and
recommend additional efforts to prevent veteran suicide.
SB 912 modifies provisions relating to military and veterans’ affairs.
HB 2111 relating to the powers of the State Auditor.
SB 1111 relating to the regulation of childcare.
SB 802 relating to business investment incentives.
SB 1359 relating to financial institutions.
SB 1453 designates the Dr. Dan Brown Memorial Highway in Phelps County.
To review the full list of bills that were Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed during the 2024 legislative session with the Governor’s actions, please click here.
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September 15-18, 2024
Each year, nearly 700 municipal officials and staff gather for the MML Annual Conference to hear expert presentations on the most pressing topics affecting Missouri cities. Meet with more than 140 vendors in the exhibit hall to learn about the latest products and services to help you succeed, add your voice at the annual business meeting, and network with local officials from across the state. Deadline to register is August 16, 2024.
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It's That Time!!
Construction Grant Applications Round 25 opened June 1The Municipal Park Grant Commission of St. Louis County, established in 2001, allocates grants for park renovations and new developments such as playgrounds, water parks, golf courses, trails, recreation centers, ice rinks, and various other recreational amenities.
This year, the Construction Grant Application has a new submission deadline: Friday, August 30, 2024, by 3 PM. Similar to previous years, we are happy to review your application up to two weeks prior to the deadline. Please ensure to submit a review request before finalizing your application.
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Planning grants up to $10,000 are available to assist in developing master plans for future park developments or specific construction project planning. Applications for planning grants are open year-round and can be accessed here. If you're contemplating a project for the upcoming year, starting the planning process early is advisable.
The Park Commission acknowledges that not all municipalities possess professional public works, engineering, or parks staff to manage construction grant applications and oversee projects. This has occasionally resulted in incomplete or inaccurate applications and project delays. Consequently, the Commission has instituted a policy mandating that any municipality lacking professional staff must secure a planning grant prior to applying for a construction grant. The Commissioners believe this policy will ensure projects are well-planned and executed efficiently and on schedule.
For inquiries regarding this policy, please reach out to the Municipal League staff at [email protected] or call 314-726-4747.
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For over 35 years, FBBS has worked with over 1,000 clients in more than 30 states. Initially founded in St. Louis with the purpose to service community bank investment needs, the scope of the client coverage has evolved over time. Today they service investment needs for not only community banks and trust companies, but also investment advisors, insurance companies, municipalities, corporations and individuals.
For more information: First Bankers’ Banc Securities
Michael “Mac” McGinnis
314-835-4971
[email protected]
1714 Deer Tracks Trail #110
Town and Country, MO 63131
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The next sessions are:
August 22 Administrative Hearings, Impeachments & Disciplinary Actions
September 26 Running Public Meetings
October 24 Types of Municipal Governments
November 20 Elections
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Be sure to check The Municipal League of Metro St. Louis website for Municipal Job Postings. Click here.
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August 6, 2024 Primary Election
August 16, 2024 Registration Deadline for MML
August 22, 2024 Training Academy - Admin. Hearings Webinar
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