Senate considers expanding library sales tax option; St. Charles amendment ties sales tax to phased property‑tax reductions
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Summary
A broad substitute (SB 10 23) would let additional counties put a library sales/use tax on the ballot and permit a civil‑filing surcharge; late floor amendments allowed St. Charles County voters to consider pairing a sales/use tax with phased reductions in the library portion of personal and real‑property tax. The sponsor placed the measure on the informal calendar after last‑minute negotiations.
Senate substitute for Senate Bill 10 23 would permit more counties to ask voters to approve a local library sales or use tax (up to one‑half of one percent) and authorized a civil filing surcharge for law‑library or courtroom projects. The sponsor described committee additions that allow circuits to collect a civil filing surcharge (up to $15) for law‑library maintenance or courtroom improvements.
On the floor senators from St. Charles and Cass engaged in extended negotiation. A late amendment for St. Charles County (introduced by the senator from the 20 third) lets the local ballot require that any approved sales tax be accompanied by annual reductions in the library portion of real‑and personal‑property tax levies equal to 100% of sales‑tax revenue, phased in at 33%, 66% and 100% over three years. Sponsor said the change provides voters a way to shift library funding from property ownership to consumption and may be revenue‑neutral for taxpayers in some counties.
Other senators raised concerns about growth in library budgets, patronage levels and the need for transparent reporting; one senator said some libraries have high expenditures despite low in‑person visits. Given the late amendments and county‑specific issues the sponsor placed the bill on the informal calendar for additional technical work.
Next steps: Bill remains on the informal calendar while sponsors and county officials finalize ballot language and fiscal tradeoffs.