ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO – July 29, 2026 (STL.News) — In a major relief measure for local taxpayers, the St. Charles County Council has voted 6-0 to eliminate the county government’s portion of personal property taxes.
Proposed by County Executive Steve Ehlmann, the unanimous action zeroes out the personal property tax rates designated for the county’s Road and Bridge Fund and the Dispatch and Alarm Fund (which funds 911 dispatch operations). The move cuts approximately $4 million in taxes that would have otherwise been collected from residents on items such as automobiles, mobile homes, and farm equipment.
St. Charles County Cutting the County’s Slice to Zero
While local taxpayers often look at the final total on their property tax bills with frustration, county officials emphasize that the county government itself receives only a minor fraction of that total.
“People pay too much personal property tax, and we understand that,” County Executive Steve Ehlmann said following the vote. “We just want taxpayers to understand that while the County Collector collects it, County Government has been getting only about 3% of the money—and the Council is now reducing that down to zero. Most personal property tax money goes to school districts and fire districts, which County Government has no control over, and we merely pass through to those jurisdictions.”
With the adjustment, the county’s property tax breakdown for every $100 of assessed valuation stands at:
- General Fund: 0 cents for real and personal property (Maintained at zero since 2015)
- Dispatch and Alarm Fund: 3.24 cents for real property, 0 cents for personal property
- Road and Bridge Fund: 16.86 cents for real property, 0 cents for personal property
A History of Voluntary Rollbacks
St. Charles County has a long-standing track record of curbing local tax burdens where possible. The county has kept its general revenue property tax rate at zero for over a decade, relying instead on sales tax to support baseline day-to-day operations. Furthermore, the county had frozen its remaining personal property tax revenue since 2022 before taking the final step to eliminate it.
According to county estimates, voluntary tax rollbacks engineered by leadership since 2007 have saved local taxpayers approximately $40 million.
The latest measure builds upon other regional and statewide property relief initiatives, complementing programs like the Senior Citizen Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program implemented across St. Charles County to assist residents on fixed incomes
