News
Neighborhoods
Arts
Let's Eat
Everyday
Nightlife
Events
Quick Links
Mayor Slay Talks to Lafayette Sq Residents About the Earnings Tax Janette Lonsdale • Thu, Jan 27, 2011
To rally support to retain the St. Louis City Earnings tax, and encourage voters to go to the polls in April, Mayor Francis Slay attended the Jan. meeting of the Lafayette Square Restoration Committee. In Nov. 2010, 68 percent of city voters opposed Proposition A, the Missouri Earnings Tax Initiative that put the current one percent earnings tax in St Louis to the vote. However, because Proposition A passed statewide, St. Louis is required to present city voters with a ballot measure every five years beginning in 2011, asking them whether or not they wish to continue the earnings tax. If they vote to eliminate it, the earnings tax will be phased out over the next 10-years. Voters will get their first chance to vote “yes” to keep the earnings tax or “no” to abolish it with Proposition E on the April 2011 ballot. The earnings tax raised about $141.2 million in 2010. It contributed about a third of the city’s operating budget. It is a tax on the earnings of those who live or work in the city of St. Louis. “About 60 to 70 percent of those paying it don’t even live in the city of St. Louis,” said Slay. “And it is critical to the city.” If voters decide to abolish the earnings tax, Slay said it would have a devastating impact on the budget challenged city that faced a $46 million budget shortfall in 2010. Based on first quarter results, the city is anticipating a possible $30 million shortfall this year. “Since I have been in office, we have eliminated 650 civilian positions… we are in our second year of furloughs for city employees,” said Slay. “Residents are paying for trash services for the first time in history.” According to Slay there is no plan in place to make-up for monies lost if the earnings tax is eliminated. Suggestions to make-up the difference have included raisings sales and property taxes. “If you are a senior on a fixed income, or on disability or pension or living off retirement savings, you are not paying an earnings tax because that is not earned income,” said Slay. “But you may be paying sales taxes, you may be paying property taxes.” Slay believes the people of the city of St. Louis want and need the earnings tax to keep the city strong, but he is concerned that there is little on the ballot to drive voter turn out. “November was a very busy election. There were ballot measures and there were federal and state elections to drive turn out,” said Slay. “Here there really is nothing else on the ballot but this to drive turn out.” The mayor’s biggest fear is that voters will be lulled into a false sense of security by the overwhelming opposition to Proposition A in the city of St. Louis last November. He stressed that this is a different ballot and Slay is asking voters to turn out and vote “yes” to Proposition E to retain the city’s earnings tax. “What I am concerned about is that there will be a lot of apathy and we need your help to get everybody to the polls to vote to keep this in place and to keep city government really strong under very difficult circumstances, this will devastate us if we don’t keep it going,” said Slay.
Real Estate
About Us
For further information: For information on Proposition E, visit the campaign website: http:// citizensforastrongerstlouis.com/facts/ Share
Like
submit your opinion
Š Copyright Your Local Messenger. All rights reserved.
{ powered by bulletlink.com }