St. Louis County fixes online tax bill errors for senior homeowners
A software error displayed incorrect 2026 property tax amounts for more than 70,000 residents enrolled in the Senior Property Tax Freeze.
By Isabel Moretti ·
St. Louis County property tax bills posted online this week displayed incorrect figures for homeowners enrolled in the Senior Property Tax Freeze. County officials attributed the discrepancy to a software glitch that failed to apply the correct base year for eligible residents.
More than 70,000 homeowners in the county are currently qualified for the freeze program. The error affected the digital versions of the 2026 tax bills released earlier this week. Residents who checked their online statements saw tax increases that did not reflect their frozen amounts.
Amby Stevenson, a 75-year-old retired resident of Maplewood, found her 2026 property tax bill had risen by $1,950. She has lived in the same home for 36 years and enrolled in the freeze program for two years. Stevenson stated she did not have an extra $2,000 available to cover the unexpected increase while living on a fixed income.
Elizabeth Eisele, a spokesperson for St. Louis County, confirmed that the office received numerous calls from residents noticing the missing freeze application on their online statements. Eisele explained that the issue was limited to the digital display of the bills. The county is currently working to correct the software error, with a fix expected within a few days.
Homeowners will receive a paper tax bill by mail in the next two weeks. Eisele said the mailed documents will show the correct property tax amounts. The online bills are scheduled to be updated with the accurate figures sometime next week.
Some residents may still see higher tax amounts because they missed the June 30 deadline to secure the freeze for the 2026 tax year. Eisele noted that homeowners did not need to resubmit financial information for the 2026 cycle. They were required only to check a box confirming their current address as their primary residence.
The application period for the 2027 tax freeze opens on Nov. 1. Any resident who meets the qualification requirements can sign up during that window.
Source: KMOV
