The senior tax freeze is only the City portion

The small word to watch in St. Louis City’s senior tax freeze is “City.” Eligible senior homeowners apply through the City Assessor, and the credit freezes the City property-tax portion of the real-estate bill. It is not a blanket freeze on every line a homeowner sees.

That difference can save a lot of confusion at bill time. Public schools, the public library, and the Museum and Zoo District remain outside the frozen City portion. Vehicles and other personal property are outside this program too.

Treat the freeze as help with one part of the St. Louis City real-estate tax bill. When comparing last year’s bill with this year’s, separate the City line from the other taxing lines before deciding whether something went wrong.