St. Charles County seniors who lock in their property taxes might soon catch a break from the yearly paperwork grind. County officials are weighing an ordinance that would let residents already enrolled in the Seniors Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program stay in the program automatically, unless something about their home or eligibility status changes.
How the ordinance would work
The draft bill, requested by Collector of Revenue Michelle McBride and sponsored by Councilmember Mike Elam, would tweak county code to eliminate the annual renewal requirement for the senior tax relief program, according to St. Charles County. Under the proposed language, participants would remain enrolled unless ownership of the property changes, the home is no longer the participant’s primary residence, the participant no longer meets statutory eligibility requirements, or the Collector’s office asks for updated documentation.
Portal outage prompted an extension
The push to simplify renewals followed a software glitch that knocked the county’s online application portal offline at key moments in late June. The County Council responded by approving a one-week extension for online submissions, moving the deadline to July 6. Collector Michelle McBride told First Alert 4 the system was “off and on” from June 20 to 24, which prompted the temporary relief so seniors would not lose their chance to enroll.
Who would benefit
County officials told local media that roughly 28,000 seniors have either signed up or renewed this year and that the program saved seniors more than $5 million in 2025, according to Spectrum News. The county also shared information about the proposed change on its official Facebook page, according to St. Charles County.
What happens next
The ordinance was introduced June 29 and could get a final up-or-down vote at the County Council meeting on July 13. Residents can check the agenda and meeting location on the county’s website, according to St. Charles County.
