Software Glitch Inflates Online Tax Bills for 70,000 Missouri Seniors

Seventy thousand homeowners in St. Louis County faced a sudden jump in their property tax obligations this week after online records displayed inflated figures. The discrepancy affected residents enrolled in the Senior Property Tax Freeze, a program designed to cap annual tax increases for eligible senior citizens.

County officials traced the error to a software malfunction that failed to apply the correct base year for these specific accounts. While the digital records showed higher charges, the physical paper bills that homeowners receive by mail will display the accurate, lower amounts. Those mailed notices are expected to arrive in the next two weeks.

Amby Stevenson, a 75-year-old resident of Maplewood, discovered the issue when she checked her records online. Her property taxes had risen by $1,950 for the current year despite her enrollment in the freeze program for the previous two years. Stevenson, who has lived in her home for 36 years, expressed concern about covering the unexpected cost on a fixed income.

“How am I going to pay it because I definitely don’t have an extra $2,000 laying around. I’m on a fixed income, I’m retired,” Stevenson said.

Elizabeth Eisele, a spokesperson for St. Louis County, confirmed that the office has received numerous calls from confused homeowners. She stated that the glitch only impacts the bills visible on the website and that the team is working to correct the data. The online records are scheduled to be fixed within a few days.

Eisele clarified that some residents might still see higher bills if they missed the June 30 deadline to opt into the 2026 freeze. Those individuals did not need to resubmit financial documents but were required to verify that their home remained their primary address. The window for signing up for the 2027 tax freeze opens on November 1.