West Newsmagazine News

West Newsmagazine is West St. Louis County's exclusive direct-mailed community newspaper.

Ballwin Board entertains raising utility tax - again

By Gretchen A. Harman

The Ballwin Board of Aldermen in April voted on a proposed increase in the city’s utility tax. The proposed legislation was supposed to raise local utilities tax from 5 percent to 7 percent, the maximum rate that the state of Missouri allows. The funding from the tax was to divided three ways: 50 percent for the city’s streets; 40 percent for operation costs and 10 percent for reserves.

However, the bill was defeated in a 5-3 vote.

At the time, Ballwin Alderman Ray Kerlagon (ward 4) said that he hoped the board would make an unanimous decision on the issue.

But other aldermen had other ideas.

“That is not going to happen,” said Ballwin Alderman Ken Buermann (ward 2), referring to an unanimous decision. “Many of us believe this should be voted on by the citizens.”

Ballwin Alderman Jane Suozzi (ward 2) also opposed the proposal.

“I feel this is a Band-aid approach and if this is passed, in the future, if we need to resurrect the property tax, we might have issues,” Suozzi said.

Ballwin Alderman Frank Fleming (ward 3) said he felt an increase in the utility tax was necessary, and could be done without a vote of the people.

“This is necessary and something we can do at board level,” Fleming said. “This does not have to go to the voters to be voted upon.”

During the June 23 aldermanic meeting, the proposal resurfaced.

The new proposal seeks an increase to 7 percent on businesses supplying telephone, gas, electric and water and related services within the city of Ballwin.

With one of the aldermen absent from the board meeting, it was voted and approved to vote on the bill at the next Board of Aldermen meeting, scheduled for July 14.

Still, Ballwin Alderman Tim Pogue (ward 1), for one, said the matter should not be handled on a board level.

“I believe that the voters should decide this matter by a voter referendum rather than at board level,” Pogue said.

Officials said that the increase in the tax could generate an average of $750,000 to $900,000 annually.