Ask the Patch Pro: Local Tax Experts Offer Advice

Our panel of experts are waiting in the comments to offer advice to help answer tax questions.

Welcome to Ask the Patch Pro, where each week we tackle a different topic and open up the comment section for questions. Our team of experts stop in to help you out and answer your questions. It's time to file your taxes and Patch wants to help you find the answers to your questions, but we needed some help. We've compiled a team of experts to help us out. Meet the experts:  

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PaulRevere's Mom

5:50 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013

Again, no thanks. Try PaulRevere, mike k, etc etc, they may take you up on the offer.   more ›

Ask the Patch Pro: Seeking Local Tax Experts to Offer Advice

Patch is looking for experts who can answer reader questions offer their expertise this week.

It's time to file your taxes, and Patch wants to help find the answers to some of your questions, but we need a little help. In the latest edition of "Ask the Patch Pro" we need local experts who can answer readers' questions and offer advice. If you are a local tax professional and can answer reader questions in our comment section this week, let us know two ways. One: You can leave a comment on this post along with your email address. Two: You can send an email to jordan.lanham@patch.com. We need experts to answer questions on Thursday, Feb. 14.  Curious as to what we are looking for? Take a look at some of our previous Patch Pro posts: So what do you say, who wants to be our expert?

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Jordan Lanham

4:33 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

Thanks Sylvianne! I will add you to our expert list and then email you a link to the article on Thursday morning.   more ›

School Safety Status Quo is Unacceptable, Says Parkway and Other Districts

While the Cooperating School Districts leader says school security plans are not a "one size fits all" proposition, he is advocating for changes that may require new taxes.

One attendee at last week's Safe Schools Partnership meeting was Don Senti, former Parkway superintendent and executive director of the Cooperating School Districts (CSD). He said superintendents who are CSD members are opposed to arming school staffers to provide security for school children. The Parkway School District is a member of the CSD organization. (Read more on the CSD's stance on school safety in the PDF portion of this article.) "Providing security for our most precious resource should be in the capable hands of those professionals who are trained in the use of fire arms, and more importantly, who know when to use them," Senti said. "Therefore, we feel that neither volunteers or armed educators are an appropriate solution to …

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Would You Support Higher Taxes for Arch and Parks Improvements?

One item on your April 2013 ballot might be a plan to raise sales taxes across St. Louis to pay for improvements in area parks and at the Gateway Arch.

When the April 2013 election arrives, you might be asked to vote on a potential hike to sales taxes in the city of St. Louis and both St. Louis and St. Charles counties. Keep this in mind. The increase would be 3/16 of one cent, and would help pay for improvements in area parks and at the Gateway Arch, among other things, reports the St. Louis Beacon.  In a Dec. 13 article, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the money collected from the tax increase would be split in the following ways:  The Missouri General Assembly approved the tax over the summer, but it still requires regional support across St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch reported. If lawmakers in St. Louis and both counties approve the issue, then it is expected to appear before …

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The Missourian

2:45 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013

We're not afraid of her. We're find it incredulous that she has plural followers.   more ›

Too Much In Taxes? Pattonville School District Cited In Audit

Report says the district collected property taxes at a higher than certified rate in 2011.

The Pattonville School District is being taken to task by Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich in a report released last month, claiming the district was one of six taxing entities which collected property taxes at a higher than certified amount in 2011. An audit says the entities together collected a total of $495,742 in tax revenue. A large majority of that amount, $483,419 went to Pattonville's operating funds. The district was certified to collect at a rate of 3.7550 percent, but the audit reports it collected at a rate of 3.9345 percent. Ron Orr, Pattonville's Chief Financial Officer, says the district's tax rates are within voter approved-limits and that the district disagrees with the Auditor's calculation of personal property taxes…

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Taxes: Last Day to Pay County Bills in Person is Friday

St. Louis County residents can pay in Clayton, or in West, South or North County satellite offices.

St. Louis County residents have until Dec. 30 to pay their tax bills in person because county offices will be closed Dec. 31 (it's a Saturday). Tax payments that are mailed must be postmarked by Dec. 31.  Residents can pay their tax bills at the Collector of Revenue’s office (41 S. Central Avenue in Clayton), or at the West County satellite office (74 Clarkson Wilson Centre, in Chesterfield) from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Offices are in north and south county too. The county takes checks or money orders at all locations and cash at the Clayton and North County offices. Real and personal property taxes can also be paid online.  Residents who do not pay their taxes can incur interest and penalties, county officials said.

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The Week Ahead In Creve Coeur

The Week Ahead: Chickens, A School Tax Levy & The Book Festival

A look at what's going on in and around Creve Coeur Patch this week.

Welcome to another full week of news and information at your fingertips here on Creve Coeur Patch. Here's a sample of what we'll be following, and where and when you can find it. Monday night, Creve Coeur's City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Among the items on the agenda include: Monday night, the Ladue School board could vote to approve language which would put a tax levy increase on the ballot in February. The increase, is described as follows by district documents: "$0.49 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation for the purpose of paying for costs of educational programs, school supplies and equipment, student transportation, employee salaries, utilities, maintaining existing facilities, and other operational expenses of the District…

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Would Ladue School District Voters Support A Tax Levy Increase?

Board members got a look Monday at a community-wide survey that included questions about a tax levy.

Members of the Lade School Board got a glimpse of a district-wide survey that included questions gauging the public’s appetite for a tax levy. According to the survey’s general summary, the questionnaire, compiled by Stilwell, Kansas-based Patron Insight shows “a patron population that is very satisfied with the performance of its school district, and that is very aware of the steps that were taken by the district to deal with the financial challenges it was facing coming into this budget year.” The summary went on to say people within the school district “have some concerns about future changes that might be required (should the financial picture continue to be difficult), are at least at this point still somewhat cautious in their level …

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School Board Hikes Tax Rate, Readies Website To Track Student-Athlete GPAs

The Pattonville board increased residential tax rates for the coming fiscal year by more than 34 cents per $100 in assessed valuation.

The Pattonville School Board has raised property tax rates for the 2011-12 fiscal year. The decision came at Tuesday's school boad meeting. The Pattonville School District increased the tax rate for almost all property classes due to a 6-percent decrease in property values. An owner of a home valued at $200,000 would see an increase of about $132 as a result of the residential tax rate hike. The new tax rate will be $4.4245 per $100 assessed valuation across all property classes. (For a tax rate comparison of each class of property, see the chart above.) The rate is composed of the $3.9345 operating tax and the 49-cent, debt-service tax levy. Local revenue makes up 85 percent of the district’s budget, and most of that comes from property …

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Would Creve Coeur Residents Support A County Property Tax Increase?

The increase would fund raises for county employees. County Executive Dooley warns that layoffs could be the result without the funding.

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley this week defended his call to raise property taxes, even as he may be facing a revolt from members of the County Council. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported that Dooley wants to raise property taxes by roughly 2.3 cents, which he said would generate $8.6 million over the next couple of years. Dooley told the Post-Dispatch that the move would provide raises to county employees who haven’t seen a pay increase in nearly three years. At a Monday grand opening of a St. Louis Community College building in Florissant, Dooley defended his proposal. He said that option is preferable to cutting county employees loose. “These are very difficult times, I recognize that, there’s no question about it,” …

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