The St. Louis City Budget Committee voted to advance Resolution 194, the city’s two-year assessment maintenance plan, after a presentation from Assessor Shawn Ordway on staffing demands, statutory timelines and the need to reassess properties in tornado-affected areas.

Assessor Shawn Ordway told the committee that “every two years, all assessors in Missouri and all 115 counties, including City of St. Louis, we have to enter into an agreement with the State Tax Commission.” He read the statute’s timing requirement for preparing and forwarding the plan and described the plan template the office uses to document procedures and resource needs.

Ordway said the assessor’s office uses the state template to show how assessments will be maintained for both real and personal property, and explained the practical implications: the office receives roughly $3.30 per parcel in state reimbursement to help pay for the assessment program, and with about 135,000 parcels that amounts to “about 400, almost $450,000 a year.” He added that the office’s major budgetary support comes from withholdings (about $3,000,000 a year) and roughly $2,000,000 in general revenue.

Ordway emphasized two near-term workload drivers. First, the senior tax freeze program requires substantial staff time — he estimated it consumes about 1.5 to 2 full-time-equivalent positions — which reduces capacity for other assessment tasks. Second, the recent tornado requires reassessment of more than 14,000 parcels to reflect values as of Jan. 1, 2026, a task he said will be “taxing on the resources that we have.”

Alderman Schweitzer, sponsor of the resolution, urged the committee to adopt the committee substitute (which includes exhibits required to be sent to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment) and stressed the procedural deadline: if the governing body does not forward its plan or an alternative by Feb. 1, the assessor’s plan is considered approved by the county governing body by operation of the statute read into the record.

Vice Chair Browning and multiple committee members praised Ordway’s transparency and outreach. Browning said he appreciated the thoroughness of the presentation. Ordway described prior outreach to senior programs and community events to inform residents about the senior tax freeze and said the office will continue such efforts.

The committee first adopted a committee substitute to Resolution 194 and then voted to give the substitute a due-pass recommendation; the transcript records the chair saying the committee substitute "passed out with a due pass recommendation." The resolution will proceed through any remaining committee and board processes and must be forwarded to the State Tax Commission by the statutory deadline.

Votes at a glance
- Committee adopted the committee substitute to Resolution 194 (motion moved by the alderman from the ninth and seconded by the alderman from the fifth); chair announced adoption without a roll-call tally in the transcript. The committee later voted to give the substitute a due-pass recommendation; the chair announced the due-pass recommendation (no detailed tally in the transcript).

What happens next
The plan will be forwarded as required by statute; Ordway said compliance is important because the State Tax Commission can withhold reimbursement or take corrective action if assessments fall out of compliance. Committee members suggested seeking additional full-time equivalents in the upcoming budget cycle to help the assessor handle senior tax freeze applications and tornado-area reassessment work.