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PROP. FIRE
F.A.Q.'S
F.A.Q.'s are Frequently Asked Questions.
Please click on the Red question to get the answer in Blue.
1. What is Proposition Fire?
Prop Fire, on the April 7th ballot will enable a 1% sales tax to support fire services in the Lake St. Louis Fire District. If approved, it would provide funding for the Districts operations and reduce property taxes by half of the amount received from sales tax revenues.
Prop. Fire will reduce property taxes by replacing the revenue source. It will
lessen the burden on property owners by ensuring that everyone who commutes
through, works in, or shops in our community contributes to public safety.
Prop. Fire will reduce property taxes by replacing the revenue source. It will
lessen the burden on property owners by ensuring that everyone who commutes
through, works in, or shops in our community contributes to public safety.
2. If the Fire District already has adequate funding, why the change?
Because many residents dislike property tax, and new state legislation finally gives us the option to replace some with a sales tax. Personal property tax is going to be frozen or eliminated soon, which will shift the burden to your real property taxes. Sales tax will provide actual relief by the cost to commuters and shoppers.
3. Will Renters, kids, and many others will have to pay new taxes?
Renters, kids, and others already benefit from Fire/EMS protection, but don’t contribute to paying the expenses for it. With sales tax, everyone who uses local businesses shares the cost, including visitors. This spreads the
responsibility more fairly than relying solely on property owners.
responsibility more fairly than relying solely on property owners.
4. could drive away visitors because consumers will shop in lower-tax counties?
Neighboring counties and most across the state already have or will have a similar Fire/EMS sales tax. Shoppers are used to seeing it everywhere, so it’s unlikely to drive any visitors away.
5. This is still a tax increase, it only rolls back part of the property tax revenue, not the whole. Where does the rest of the money go? Are pensions, raises, or new buildings involved?
It’s still a tax, but nonresidents will share in paying it, while property owners will see relief as soon as we have a year of collection to adjust our tax rate. We need those twelve months to know how much to adjust the rate, and then it will continue to float up or down every year based on sales tax revenue. This isn’t a tax increase, its just a change to our taxing structure.
6. IF The tax increase happens immediately, but the rollback is delayed and may also be reversed later. There is no guarantee we’ll attempt to roll back more property tax than required by law.
The rollback isn’t optional — it’s written into the ballot language and required by Missouri law. That means your property tax will be reduced by at least half of what the sales tax brings in, every year, automatically. We need twelve months of collection to determine our new tax rate, and in those twelve months before we can reduce our property tax rates for the first time, the revenue we collect will help us secure reserves to help keep future rates low.
7. What is the Fire Districts Tax Levy?
Our tax income is broken into 3 different dedicated purposed taxes and none of them are allowed by law to intermingle.
They are as follows:
In total our current tax rate is set at: $1.0711
General Fund: $0.849
Capital Projects (bond): $0.20
Pension: $0.0212
They are as follows:
- General Revenue: The main tax and it is for salaries, bills, Insurance, some equipment purchases.
- Capital Projects (bond): This is what the community approved in 2016 to build a new station, the current fleet of our fire and support vehicles. This is for major purchases needed for the district and can only be used for that purpose. This is an expiring tax that once the amount is paid back, the tax will be eliminated unless it is renewed.
- Pension: Back in the early 1980’s, when we only had 1-2 paid staff, the community voted to fund a pension for the members of the district. Even though the district size has grown in staff, this has never changed.
In total our current tax rate is set at: $1.0711
General Fund: $0.849
Capital Projects (bond): $0.20
Pension: $0.0212
8. ISNT Adding a new sales tax during high inflation is a burden on the taxpayer.
High inflation makes property tax bills even harder to swallow because they don’t adjust with your spending. A sales tax spreads the cost out over time and lets you control when you pay it. It also shares the cost of Fire Services with everyone who commutes through, works in, or shops in our community.
9. ISNT This is a regressive tax on low-income residents?
Personal property tax is actually more regressive in our case — it’s a fixed bill you pay in one lump sum, no matter your income or spending habits, and it hits families with multiple cars, trucks, or work equipment especially hard. A sales tax is paid a little at a time, when you choose to make a purchase, and it shares the cost with renters, visitors, and commuters who also benefit from Fire protection.
10. When is the election?
Proposition Fire will be on the April 7th, 2026 election ballot.
11. How much will this save the average property owner?
Property owners will see their annual tax rate reduced, based on the revenue generated by sales tax. The exact amount of savings will differ from year to year depending on the sales tax collected.
12. Arent Sales taxes are more volatile than property taxes? so our funding will be less stable? “Public safety shouldn’t depend on shopping habits.”
While sales tax can fluctuate with the economy, we plan for this by using long-term budgets and building reserves. Districts will also still be able to float real property rates up in a bad economy and rates will be reduced even further ingood economic years. Our services won’t be dependent on shopping habits.
13. Where can I register to Vote?
You are able to register to vote online in Missouri here: https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/register
Questions on registering to vote, call: 573-751-2301
Questions on registering to vote, call: 573-751-2301
14. Where can I get additional Information about registration or Absentee Ballots?
Go to the St. Charles County Election Authority website at: https://www.sccmo.org/447/Absentee-Voting or call 636-949-7550
15. Why is Proposition FIRE needed now?
Property tax is becoming increasingly unpopular as a long-term revenue source for our District. It is possible that we will see personal property/ Real Estate tax revenue frozen or eliminated entirely. For this reason Sales tax, will be the model to supplement our operating revenue and to offset inflation.
16. What will this cost a taxpayer?
One cent would be added to each dollar spent on everyday consumer goods and luxuries. Prescription drugs, feminine hygiene products, diapers, fuel, utilities, and agricultural products are exempt.
17. Will this reduce residents’ Fire services if it fails?
If this measure does not pass, we will continue to operate with the funding mechanism that is currently in place. Property tax rates will not be affected and we will periodically have to come back to the voters for property tax increases as state legislation reduces our operating tax rates.
