St. Louis County voters will decide Tuesday, Nov. 3, whether to tax themselves a nickel per $100 of assessed property value to fund services for residents 60 and older.

Proposition S would create a Senior Citizens Services Fund to pay for transportation, home-delivered meals, home repairs and in-home assistance, according to Aging Ahead, a regional nonprofit that has published explainer material on the measure. The levy is estimated to generate approximately $15 million a year, Aging Ahead stated. Supporters quoted by St. Louis Public Radio put the figure at about $16 million.

What It Would Cost

For a home appraised at $200,000, the annual cost would be about $19, according to the Seniors Count STL campaign website. A $300,000 home would owe roughly $28.50 a year. Personal property owners would pay an additional $1.67 per year for each $10,000 of property value.

Seniors who have applied for the property tax freeze would pay the new rate, but on their lower frozen value, St. Louis Public Radio reported.

Who Would Benefit

Under Missouri law, the fund could support services for county residents age 60 and older that "improve the health, nutrition, and quality of life" of those residents, according to Seniors Count STL. Services would not be limited to low-income seniors. Some programs could be targeted by financial need, while others could be available more broadly to all eligible residents.

An appointed seven-member board would oversee spending. St. Louis County law requires an annual audit of the fund.

How Supporters Frame It

Jamie Opsal, a former director of the City of St. Louis' senior fund and a leader of the Prop S campaign, told St. Louis Public Radio that more than a quarter of the county's population is 60 or older. She said resources for older adults are already scarce, and cuts to state and federal funding have made the situation worse.

"There's actually more foundations that fund dogs and cats than there are for older adults," Opsal said.

Opsal acknowledged that tax increases are a tough sell in the current economy.

No organized opposition to Prop S appeared in available public sources.

Timeline and History

The measure has failed before. St. Louis County narrowly rejected a similar Proposition S in November 2016.

If voters approve it this time, the county would begin collecting the new tax in 2027. Funding could be ready for distribution as early as 2028, according to Seniors Count STL. Fifty-six Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis already have senior service funds.

The St. Louis County Election Board can be reached at 314-615-1800 for voting questions.