St. Charles County Assessor hosting community Q&A sessions about reassessments

St. Charles County Assessor Scott Shipman and Assessor-Elect Travis Welge are hosting community question-and-answer sessions to give the public an opportunity to discuss real estate reassessments. The reassessment process occurs every odd year to revalue properties within the county for purposes of equalization.

“Reassessment is important to maintain current market values for real estate property and accurately reflect those values to equitably distribute the tax burden established by each taxing district,” Shipman says. “General economic conditions such as interest rates, inflation rates, supply and demand, and changes in tax laws influence the value of real estate, and as property values change in the marketplace, those changes must be reflected on assessments.”

The effective date is from the last reassessment – Jan. 1, 2021 – until Jan. 1, 2023. Notices of Real Estate Assessment will be mailed to property owners starting around April 14. Taxpayers have 10 days from the mailed date on the notice to schedule an informal hearing with a staff member from the assessor’s office to discuss the property value or classification by calling 636-949-7431, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Scheduled informal hearings will be conducted beginning the last week of April through early June. If an agreement is not reached after the informal hearing, the property owner would then file an appeal with the Board of Equalization.

Shipman says the community Q&A sessions are an effort to help further explain the reassessment process and provide property owners the ability to have their questions answered without the need to schedule a hearing. Community Q&As will be held on the following dates and times at St. Charles City-County Library branches:

• 3-6 p.m., May 3 at the Spencer Road Branch in St. Peters

• 3-6 p.m., May 10 at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch in O’Fallon

• 3-6 p.m., May 17 at the Corporate Parkway Branch in Wentzville

“The assessor’s office is always available to help answer questions, but I hope these opportunities help save property owners time to ask their specific questions and gain a better understanding of their property value,” Shipman says.

The assessor is responsible for establishing the fair market value of both real estate and personal property within St. Charles County to assure taxes are distributed fairly among those responsible for payment. Real estate and personal property values are adjusted as necessary to reflect current market and economic conditions such as interest rates, inflation rates, supply and demand, and changes in tax laws. Political subdivisions, which include school, city and fire districts, establish property tax rates/levies based on budgetary requirements needed to appropriately fund services provided within their jurisdiction. The collector of revenue receives these rates annually by Oct. 31 and is charged with issuing property tax bills and the collection and disbursement of taxes to the political subdivisions.

For more information, visit sccmo.org/Assessor or call 636-949-7428.

Select lakes at Busch Conservation Area now open to hand-launched canoes and kayaks

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has created a new opportunity for personal canoes and kayaks to be used on designated lakes on the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles. Visitors are allowed to use their own handlaunched canoes or kayaks on Lakes 6, 34, 35, 36, and 38.

From April 1 through Sept. 30, users will be required to register their canoe or kayak and obtain a boating tag at the onsite concessioner, All In Bait and Tackle Shop. The concessioner is adjacent to the MDC St. Louis Regional Office located near the area’s entrance. Area boating tags will be issued for a specific canoe or kayak and are valid only for the specific lake designated on the tag. The tag must be returned to the concessioner immediately upon leaving the water during the concessioner’s daily operating hours from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. If users exit the water after the conces- sioner has closed for the day, the daily boating tag should be deposited in the afterhours drop box.

There will be no charge for a daily boating tag, but the number of tags is limited and available on a first come, first-served basis only. The number of daily boating tags issued varies depending on the size of each lake.

From Oct. 1-March 31, a daily boating tag will not be required to use canoes and kayaks launched by hand on Lakes 6, 34, 35, 36, and 38.

For those who do not have their own canoe or kayak, MDC will continue to provide aluminum boats for rent via its onsite concessioner for 11 lakes on the Busch Conservation Area. Rental boats will be available April 1-Sept. 30 for a $5 rental fee.

The August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area is located at 2360 Highway D, two miles west of Highway 94.

St. Charles County Adopt-A-County-Road program promotes environmental stewardship

The St. Charles County Highway Department’s Adopt-A-CountyRoad program offers an opportunity for organizations or individuals to adopt a section of county-maintained roadways and conduct periodic litter clean-ups to help protect the environment and keep roads welcoming and safe.

“The program is a great opportunity for the public to get involved in their community,” says John Lyons, County Engineer. “Adopting a county road helps reduce the impact of littering in our environment, protects drivers and our roadways and helps preserve wildlife habitats.”

County roads are a vital piece of the St. Charles County transportation network, connecting the places where residents live, work and play. While development, construction and weather treatment are the most critical aspects of road maintenance, it is also important to maintain the areas around county roadways.

“Clean roadways are safer roadways,” Lyons says. “Litter clean-ups allow the removal of trash and debris from areas near roads that could otherwise enter roadways and pose a potential danger to motorists.”

Civic and nonprofit organizations, commercial and private enterprises, and individuals are invited to apply for the program. Participants, who must be at least 10 years old and accompanied by an adult if under the age of 18, may adopt at least two miles of roadways in rural areas or at least one-half mile of roadway in urban areas for a minimum of three years. Litter clean-ups along the adopted section of roadway must occur at least four times per year, and participants must abide by the Highway Department’s safety requirements.

The Highway Department provides participants with safety trainings, safety vests and equipment and litter bags for clean-ups. The department also removes and disposes of filled litter bags, and places two roadway signs – one at each end of the road section – identifying the adopting group or individual.

The Highway Department is responsible for improving and maintaining existing public county roads, constructing new roads, and providing snow removal and oversight of the public right-of-way. County roads are any public road located outside the jurisdiction of the various cities in the county and that are not part of the state system. Streets within cities are typically maintained by that city, except for smaller municipalities that contract with the County Highway Department to have their streets maintained. The department is comprised of approximately 123 employees, including laborers, equipment operators, technicians, engineers and administrative staff.

For more information and to apply to participate in the Adopt-ACounty-Road program, visit sccmo.org/Highway or call 636-949-7305.