St. Charles Regional Chamber Opposes Proposition RT, Citing Risks to Essential Public Services

“The St. Charles Regional Chamber supports responsible tax relief, but we do not support tax reductions that could come at the expense of essential public services. Proposition RT may sound appealing on the surface, but voters should also consider its long-term impact on schools, fire and ambulance districts, libraries, cities, and other public entities that residents and businesses rely on every day. We believe tax relief should be paired with a reliable, sustainable alternative funding source so communities can continue delivering the services that keep St. Charles County strong, safe, and competitive.”
— Scott Tate, President & CEO, St. Charles Regional Chamber

Key Facts

What supporters say: Proposition RT would extend a senior-style property tax relief model more broadly, giving homeowners more predictable tax relief, preserving increases tied to voter-approved levies and property improvements, and resetting when a property changes ownership.

Who would feel the impact most: St. Charles County has said about 97% of local real estate taxes go to school districts, libraries, fire and ambulance districts, cities, and other taxing jurisdictions, while about 3% supports county-run 911 dispatch, road maintenance, and the Developmental Disabilities Board.

Current program impact: County officials said the existing senior tax relief program saved seniors more than $5 million for tax year 2025.

Estimated added impact if RT passes: The County has said Proposition RT could save pre-senior homeowners roughly $15 million annually going forward.

Scale of eligibility: County officials have indicated about 73,000 property owners could be eligible under Proposition RT, in addition to roughly 26,000 already participating in the senior relief program.

Additional uncertainty: St. Charles County has publicly noted that the SB 3 framework behind Proposition RT is already facing a court challenge in Cole County.

As St. Charles County voters prepare to go to the polls in April, the St. Charles Regional Chamber is urging a “No” vote on Proposition RT.

The Chamber understands why Proposition RT appeals to many property owners. Supporters say it would provide long-term, predictable tax relief by extending the senior property tax freeze model more broadly countywide. They argue the measure would hold a homeowner’s tax liability at a base-year level while still allowing increases for voter-approved levies and property improvements, and that the tax treatment would reset when a home changes ownership rather than freezing a property in perpetuity. Supporters also frame the proposal as a way to require future tax increases to be more directly justified to voters.

Those arguments deserve to be acknowledged. However, for political subdivisions, the issue is not simply what revenue is collected today. The larger concern is the loss of predictable future revenue growth that helps fund staffing, budgeting, capital planning, and long-term service delivery. When that future growth is restricted and levy flexibility is limited, public entities can face greater uncertainty in their ability to hire personnel, expand services, keep pace with inflation, maintain facilities, and respond to rising operational costs. That uncertainty can directly affect the services residents and businesses count on every day.

In St. Charles County, that impact would fall primarily on the local entities that provide critical public services. County information states that only about 3% of local real estate taxes support county-run 911 dispatch, road maintenance, and the Developmental Disabilities Board, while about 97% goes to school districts, libraries, fire and ambulance districts, cities, and other local taxing jurisdictions. The County has also publicly stated that its general revenue property tax rate is zero and has been for the past 10 years, meaning Proposition RT would not directly affect County general revenue.

That distinction matters. The concern is not centered on county government alone, but on the schools, fire protection districts, ambulance districts, libraries, and municipalities that residents depend on for safe classrooms, quick emergency response, community services, and a strong quality of life. These public entities also play a direct role in shaping the local business climate by supporting workforce readiness, public safety, infrastructure, and overall community attractiveness.

The current senior tax relief program already shows the financial scale involved. County officials have said the senior program saved seniors more than $5 million for tax year 2025. In practical terms, that represents property tax revenue that otherwise would have flowed to taxing districts. The County has further estimated that Proposition RT could save pre-senior homeowners another roughly $15 million annually going forward. Based on those public figures, Proposition RT would significantly expand the amount of property tax relief already being absorbed by local taxing districts.

County officials have also indicated that approximately 73,000 property owners could be eligible for the expanded relief under Proposition RT, in addition to roughly 26,000 already participating in the senior tax relief program. That scale underscores why voters should look beyond the immediate appeal of tax relief and consider the long-term effect on public service delivery, community investment, and local fiscal stability.

The St. Charles Regional Chamber’s position is consistent with the St. Charles County Chamber Policy Coalition’s position adopted in September 2025: any future changes to property tax policy should be accompanied by a reliable, sustainable alternative funding source to ensure continued full and equitable funding for essential services, including schools, fire districts, libraries, public safety agencies, and more.

That principle remains at the heart of the Chamber’s position today. The Chamber believes tax relief should be pursued in a way that does not jeopardize essential services or shift financial strain onto the public entities that families, neighborhoods, and employers rely on most.

The Chamber is also concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the measure itself. St. Charles County has publicly noted that the Senate Bill 3 framework behind Proposition RT is already facing a court challenge in Cole County, creating additional uncertainty even if voters were to approve the measure.

The St. Charles Regional Chamber believes public policy works best when it balances affordability with sustainability. In this case, the Chamber’s concern is that Proposition RT may limit future local funding capacity without providing a dependable replacement source for the public services that residents and businesses expect.

For those reasons, the St. Charles Regional Chamber opposes Proposition RT and urges voters to reject the measure in April.