Taxes, Clayton Road Trail and Trash Talk in Town and Country Monday

Although deer management topped Monday night's Town and Country Board of Aldermen meeting, taxes, Clayton Road Trail construction and trash were also discussed.

(Read Related Story: )

Board members discussed city property, sales and utility taxes.

Currently residents in Town and Country do not pay a city property tax. Each year, cities across St. Louis County have to set their property tax rates and once again, the city is proposing the property tax rate be zero percent for the 2011 tax year.

The city's property tax rate has been zero percent since 1996, City Clerk Pam Burdt tells Patch.

The city is also reaffirming the city's business license tax rates, utility business license tax rates and sales tax rates. See the PDF portion of this article for specific information on these tax rates.

Business license tax rates vary based on the type of business.

The utilities business license tax rate is a franchise fee or license fee paid by the utility companies who supply service to the city. The current rate is 6.75 percent of the utility's gross receipts. The city is proposing that rate remain the same for now. The city is required by the state to declare it is maintaining the tax utility rate as an after effect of the Missouri Public Service Commision's recent approval a 7.2 percent rate increase for Ameren UE customers across the state.

Aldermen also discussed reaffirming the city's sales tax rate.

In Town and Country, the sales tax rate is 2.25 percent. There is an additional .5 percent in the Transportation Development District at Woods Mill and Clayton roads, which includes Lamp and Lantern Village and Town and Country Crossing. Including county and state sales taxes, the total sales tax rate in Town and Country is 8.175 percent and in the Transportation Development District the total is 8.675 percent.

"It's incorporating our utility tax and sales tax rates into our municipal code. Besides reaffirming the tax rate for Ameren, it's also putting all of the city's tax rates into the code book because they never have been in there," Burdt tells Patch. "These aren't new taxes, they already exist. So instead of having to look it up ordinance by ordinance by ordinance, because they're all separate, they'll all be in one section."

Monday was the first reading for all of the proposes tax rate ordinances. No votes were taken and none of the rates are changing. The board of aldermen will likely vote on the ordinances at the following board of aldermen meeting set for Sept. 26.

Clayton Road Trail Construction

Board members are also discussed authorizing an agreement between the city and L. Krupp Construction for $1,610,665.04 to begin Phase One of the Clayton Road Trail. According to the included meeting agenda, Krupp "submitted the lowest and most responsive bid." A ground breaking for the trial is set for 4:30 p.m., Thursday at .

 Director Craig Wilde said the bids came in a couple hundred thousand dollars under budget.

Read Previous Stories:

City Waste Bin Requirements

The city was also considering amending the current city code relating to collection and storage of waste. The proposed amendment would require trash and recycle bins be placed along the curb for pick-up no earlier than 6 p.m. the day before pick-up and bins must be removed from the curb no later than 10 p.m. the day of pick-up.

The change was proposed by Alderman Tim Welby. Residents of the Mason Valley Subdivision say they feel it is an issue in their neighborhood and they have no way to require neighbors to remove their trash bins from the front of their homes and driveways.

There was concern by Mayor Jon Dalton and Aldermen Phil Behnen and Steve Fonz that trash container time requirements within the city may be over-legislation. Dalton said he wanted to know more about the issue before enacting a city ordinance when it may be an issue that needs to be handled within a few subdivisions.

This item was voted on and tabled Monday night.