Seniors in St. Charles County will get a little extra time to sign up for or renew their enrollment in the Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program.
The St. Charles County Council unanimously passed an ordinance giving seniors six extra days to make up for a string of days in mid-June when the online portal was not working due to problems with an outside vendor.
“It’s the only fair thing to do for seniors,” says Collector of Revenue Michelle McBride. “I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out because of a computer glitch.”
Under the legislation, seniors will have until midnight July 6 to either enroll for the first time or renew their application. The original deadline was June 30.
McBride says some 28,000 seniors have already signed up or renewed since the enrollment period began on March 1. She estimates another 2,000 or so more may still be wanting to get in based on previous years’ numbers.
Automatic renewals proposed for tax relief program
Meanwhile, the council is also considering a separate McBride proposal to do away with the annual renewal requirement, allowing people who are already enrolled in the Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program to be renewed automatically.
“I've heard the taxpayers,” McBride says. “I've heard the seniors say, ‘You know, this is crazy. Why do I have to file paperwork every year? I’m not getting any younger!’”
Under the plan, only people who change to a new address or put their property in a trust would need to reapply. The ordinance for automatic renewal could come up for a final vote at the next council meeting July 13.
The Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program saved St. Charles County seniors more than $5 million in 2025, McBride says.
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St. Charles County
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