Mehlville Board of Education approves 2023 tax rate
Posted on 09/22/2023
During its annual Tax Rate Hearing on Sept. 21, 2023, the Mehlville Board of Education unanimously approved the 2023 blended tax rate of $3.9680 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation.
The proposed levy reflects voters' passage of Prop E, which authorized the district to increase its levy by $0.31. The blended rate for 2023 is just $0.29 higher than the prior blended rate of $3.6784 and complies with all state laws.
The proposed levy generates enough revenue to provide competitive compensation for all employees as promised by Prop E. Due to an increase in the assessed valuation of residential, commercial and personal property, the district will also receive enough revenue to begin addressing critical infrastructure needs not funded through Prop S (a zero tax rate increase passed by voters in 2021).
“While we’ve made progress in addressing some of our facility needs, we continue to operate our schools with outdated HVAC equipment,” said Dr. Jeff Haug, superintendent. “The consequences of delayed maintenance were apparent during a heat wave in August. Several of our HVAC components went down, and at some schools, we had to move students to other classrooms and locations.”
By levying the tax rate allowed by voters and approved by the state auditor's office, the district will be able to implement its plan to replace a substantial amount of outdated equipment starting next summer.
“Mehlville School District is committed to being good financial stewards and spending tax dollars wisely to meet the needs of our 10,000 students,” Dr. Haug said. “By levying this tax rate, the district avoids having to ask voters for a tax increase bond issue in the immediate future that will cost taxpayers more in interest and fees.”
View the live stream of the tax rate hearing.