ST. LOUIS • An aldermanic committee on Thursday once again voted to put a real estate tax increase before voters to fund infrastructure upgrades throughout the city.
Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed sponsored the bill aimed at putting a $180 million bond issue on an August 4 special ballot.
Officials first proposed the real estate tax increase measure in April 2014. A bill to put the issue on the ballot failed to gather political support at first, and languished at the Board of Aldermen before gaining new steam in August. Still, over the summer as a deadline approached to put in on the November ballot. The aldermen then to meet a deadline to put in on this past April ballot.
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The bonds would be paid over 20 years from a citywide property tax amounting to an annual increase of about $35 on a property valued at $100,000.
The bill could stall again. It must pass the full Board of Aldermen. Â
Ultimately, the issue must gain two-thirds of a public vote. Â The city is also hoping to put other tax increases on the November ballot to fund hiring for police officers.Â
Reed successfully pushed an amendment in the current bill to limit funding to infrastructure improvements in the north St. Louis area near the old Pruitt Igoe housing complex if the doesn't select it for their replacement facility.Â
Officials are showcasing that site to federal officials as a replacement for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's Western headquarters near the Anheuser-Busch brewery.
Reed said the amendment was necessary to keep controversial developer Paul McKee from lining his pockets if NGA doesn't go to the north side, where McKee has put together large swaths of land in a stalled development project.Â
Alderman Steve Conway voted against most of the measures saying aldermen added too much "pork" to the bill.Â
Conway said the money should go solely to fixing roads and bridges, but not to "parochial needs." Â
