Crime & Safety

Mehlville Fire Board Passes 2011 Tax Rates

The blended rate will see a 2.6-cent increase.

The Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors voted unanimously to pass their 2011 tax rates at Wednesday's board meeting. No residents spoke at the public hearing about raising or lowering the rates. 

The blended rate, used for state calculations, will have a 2.6 cent increase, going from 67.1 cents to 69.7 cents, said Chief Financial Officer Brian Bond.

The rates that were passed are as follows:

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  • Residential: 64.5 cents, up 2 cents from 2010
  • Agricultural: $1.058, up 2.8 cents from 2010
  • Commercial: 77.2 cents, up 5.2 cents from 2010
  • Personal Property: 85.1 cents, up one cent from 2010 

In 2010, the district had the lowest residential tax rates in St. Louis County. 

Assessed values have decreased in the county more than $70 million dollars from 2010, allowing the district to roll up the tax rate to stay revenue neutral. The increase will not generate any additional tax dollars for the fire district.

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The district’s tax rate is comprised of three funds: general, alarm and pension. The district will collect the maximum amount of taxes for the general and pension funds, but will have a one-cent voluntary reduction to the alarm fund.

“While the blended rate that was accrued to 2010 was 67.1 cents, we’re looking at the maximum amount that’s allowable, 70.1 cents for 2011’s tax rate to support the 2012 budget,” Bond said. “The recommendation is that we have a voluntary reduction of one penny in the alarm fund, because the revenue from that fund will support the operating expenses... it’s not necessary to take the full amount that’s available to us in that particular fund.”

Bond also said the district was waiting for a written accuracy check on the general revenue fund rates. The county provided assessment information on Sept. 15, and on Sept. 19, that information was given to the state auditor’s office.

The alarm and pension funds have gotten written confirmation of their accuracy, but the general fund has only gotten verbal confirmation.

“The initial information they provided about the general revenue fund was not accurate, so they were going to revise that information and send it back to us, which we still have not received,” Bond said.

*To calculate the amount you’ll have to pay in fire district taxes, take your appraised home value and multiply it by 19 percent (what the county uses as assessed value). Then, divide that figure by 100 ($100 per assessed value) and multiply that by the residential tax rate ($.645).

For example, a home worth $160,000 will be paying $196.08 in fire district taxes in 2011. 

Keep an eye out for other fire district news coming soon:

The board heard the preliminary 2012 budget at Wednesday's meeting. 

The district received its new rescue squad and it will be in service in approximately three weeks. 


 


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