Readers: No Raise For License Collector
Since the 1876 “Great Divorce” the City of St. Louis has been both a city and a county — AKA an independent city. St. Louis has many “county” elected offices. St. Louis County, on the other hand, has just three: County Executive, Prosecuting Attorney, County Assessor.
The person(s) you see to pay your property tax, get your business licensed, or obtain a marriage license aren’t elected. Many tasks that in the city are handled by seaports citywide elected officials fall under the Department of Revenue in the County:
The Saint Louis County Department of Revenue administers a tax levying system and various fees that generate the funds necessary for Saint Louis County Government and other political subdivisions to provide services to Saint Louis County residents.
- Board of Equalization
- Collection
- Licensing
- Recorder of Deeds
So no, we shouldn’t raise the salary of the elected License Collector — we should eliminate most of the city’s “county” offices.
In the Sunday Poll less than a third favored increasing the salary:
Q: Rep Hubbard introduced & withdrew a bill that would’ve raised the salary of the License Collector from $64,130 to $120,000. What should happen?
- Combine License Collector & Collector of Revenue with the latter’s current salary 17 [41.46%]
- Raise salary of the License Collector, but not to $120,000 11 [26.83%]
- Keep the salary/office as is 9 [21.95%]
- TIE 2 [4.88%]
- Reintroduce the bill, raise the salary to $120,000
- Unsure/no opinion
Reentering St. Louis County as a municipality would also eliminate these elected offices.
— Steve Patterson