Area voters go to the polls Tuesday to decide a long list of tax and bond propositions, with two proposed by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District affecting the most people.
Also on the ballot across the Missouri side of the metro area will be 11 contested mayoral races and numerous races for seats on boards overseeing municipalities, school districts and fire protection districts.
Election officials generally expect turnouts of up to 20% of registered voters, with possibly higher participation in areas with hotter contests. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In the sewer district, which covers St. Louis and most of St. Louis County, Proposition W would authorize selling $750 million in bonds to pay for the next four years of legally required work aimed at reducing sewage overflows into area waterways.
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That would cause monthly residential bills to jump about 7% annually over the next four years but spread out the costs over many years. The typical residential customer would see monthly bills go from about $61 next year to $75 in 2028.
But if the bond issue measure is rejected, the district instead will have to pay for the work with big payments of upfront cash, requiring residents’ monthly bills to increase by even steeper amounts. There would be two massive leaps of about 35% in each of the next two years. That would send average residential customers’ bills to about $77 a month next year to $104 a month in 2026 and dropping to between $80 and $90 per month in 2027-28.
Voters in the sewer district also will decide Proposition S, a residential property tax hike that would set up a new fund to allow MSD to start addressing local flooding and erosion problems.
That ballot proposal also would impose new charges on commercial customers of $1.05 per month for every 1,000 square feet of impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, that don’t absorb stormwater.
Cities with contested mayoral races include Wildwood and Kirkwood, where incumbents aren’t seeking reelection.
In Wildwood, City Councilman Joe Garritano faces former Councilman Tony Salvatore, while the Kirkwood race features council members Mark Zimmer and Liz Gibbons.
Mayoral contests also are on the ballot in Maplewood, Sunset Hills, Berkeley, Riverview and several other municipalities.
Crestwood residents will vote on a property tax hike to fund a bond issue for a new community center and other amenities.
Property tax increases also will be decided in several fire protection districts, among them Affton, Lemay, Spanish Lake, Rock and Dunklin.
St. Charles is seeking passage of an $85 million bond issue to pay for a new City Hall and recreation complex, but city officials say it would not spur a tax hike.
Webster Groves also is seeking passage of a no-tax-increase bond issue, to pay for an upgraded city aquatic center and other parks and recreation improvements.
Several school districts and fire districts also are requesting bond issues that don’t trigger tax increases.
Jefferson County voters will decide on allowing the county to impose an extra 3% sales tax on the sale of recreational marijuana. Marijuana sales tax proposals also are on the ballot in Fenton, Pagedale, Cool Valley and Winchester.
Meanwhile, residents in Peaceful Village will vote on whether to dissolve the 17-year-old Jefferson County municipality.
Des Peres issue
Former Des Peres Alderman John Pound, who pleaded guilty last month to embezzlement charges unrelated to city government, remains on the ballot for his old 1st Ward seat even though state law bars him from holding elective office due to his felony conviction.
Pound resigned from office, but it was too late to remove his name from the ballot. Also on the ballot are James Kuenzi and Jennifer Weller. Jeanne Fluri is running as a write-in candidate.
Rick Stream, a St. Louis County Election Board director, said if Pound got the most votes, he couldn’t take office, and Des Peres city officials would decide how to fill the seat. He said options could include seating the second-place finisher or holding a new election.
Check back after polls close for election results.
What you need to know for Tuesday’s election
Tuesday's election includes municipal offices and school board seats, questions about sewer bills and more. See what will be on the ballot.Â
Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters must show a government-issued photo ID. If you don’t bring one along, you can cast a provisional ballot but it will be counted only if your signature matches the one on file with the local election authority.
The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis present this guide to the candidates, races and issues on the April 2 ballot.
Under Prop A, the new facility would be double the size of the current one, which dates to 1978.
None of the propositions on local ballots have organized opposition, although critics say the marketing of a “zero tax increase†by all of the districts is misleading.
The political battles for school board seats have mostly cooled off around the region, with some high-profile exceptions in St. Charles County. Here's a look at school board races across the St. Louis area.
Voters will decide on two ballot measures in April that stand to raise sewer bills. They can also learn more about the items at public meetings this week and next.
Voters also will decide numerous races for seats on city councils, boards of aldermen and school boards across the Missouri side of the metro area.Â
On Thursday, Maplewood Mayor Nikylan Knapper finally filed her campaign report that was due Feb. 22. She faces Barry Greenberg, who she beat in 2021, on April 2
St. Charles officials are pitching a new, $85 million city hall complex to voters, who will weigh in on the issue during next month's election.Â
People on all sides of Francis Howell's culture-war debates say they want their schools to be the best. But the ideas on how to get there are wildly different.
View life in St. Louis through the Post-Dispatch photographers' lenses. Edited by Jenna Jones.
