Brentwood’s Proposition B, a half-cent sales tax increase voters will decide on April 2, is a plan to help fund Brentwood Bound, a $79 million project that focus on revitalizing parts of Brentwood.
If the tax passes it would push the city’s rate — combining state, county and city sales taxes — close to 10 percent. The current rate is 9.113, according to one website, and others. Areas of the city currently paying for a TIF can be higher (for instance the sales tax at REI is now at 10.238 percent).
The plan would include Deer Creek flood mitigation and improvements to Manchester Road in the area between Hanley Road and Brentwood Boulevard.
A Brentwood resident emailed 40 South, saying he thinks it’s a risky gamble by Brentwood because the tax rate now exceeds 10 percent, which is already causing some shoppers to avoid Brentwood retailers. If the city were to raise its tax rate yet again – right on the heels of the zoo sales-tax rate hike – he thinks there might be a noticeable shift of shoppers away from Brentwood businesses. And a reduction in sales would doom the additional funds needed for Deer Creek flood mitigation.
See also: Brentwood encourages residents to complete ‘Brentwood Bound’ project survey
I work in brentwood but don’t live there, and now I won’t be shopping there but I am informed. Study showed that 75% of Brentwood shopping comes from people that don’t live there. Good luck city officials. I hope you see a HUGE drop in revenue. Then what are you going to do? Hit your own residents up for a property tax increase?
For years I made it my policy to purchase goods and services from Brentwood businesses as much as possible. I did this out of both patriotism and self interest. I live in Brentwood and wish to support my hometown merchants, and also wish for my sales-tax revenues to remain in Brentwood where they can fund programs and capital improvements that directly benefit me. But after the sales-tax rate at many Brentwood businesses surpassed 10% recently, I made the reluctant decision to be less loyal to my hometown merchants out of economic necessity. My annual income is well below the USA household median of $61,000 — and even weller below the Brentwood household median of $73,000. One of my neighbors has switched from Brentwood’s Home Depot to Maplewood’s Lowe’s to ease his tax burden. We in the sales-tax-crazy St. Louis region need to be reminded that there are places in our country — even urban places — where sales-tax rates of 7 and 8% are still the norm. Brentwood voters would be wise before Tuesday to reflect on Aesop’s fable about greed and the folly of killing the goose who laid the golden eggs.
It looks like a giant mosquito breeding swamp. Probably turn into another drug park like usual.
If Brentwood expects people to use the walkways after every heavy rain they will be forced to power wash all walkways and benches. Any releif they build in to manage flood waters will eventually ware down and flood Manchester Rd.
My opinion for only way to reduce flooding is to increase the flow rate by concreting deer creek all the way to River Des Peres. Since money isn’t an issue right.
I’m not done.
Isn’t Deer Creek full of sewage and trash? The renderings of this are very unrealistic. No one is going to choose to sit on a bench next to Deer Creek and read a book.
I would also like to point out that there are only 24 Brentwood households (Brazeau Ave) who could use this walkway without crossing major roads. Maybe some of the residents off Marshall Ave in Webster would use it too. I did not see any parking lots set up.
Filling the pockets of the select few with money only joy that would come from this project. The Mayor should take that silly $30k sign down off his fence and redirect that camera to not observe only his property not the traffic. Wonder what he does with that video…
I’m pretty sure there will parking down there. The maps shows one by the soccer field already. Remember that’s these are not finalized plans, the dog park may also move down there which will require a parking lot. As for pedestrian access there will be the tunnel that goes under Manchester rd that’s connected to the walking path along dorothy ave.
Apparently Deer Creek is not the only thing full of sewage and trash!
?
Memorial park sits right next to black creek and I think it’s one of our more used parks people rent it out for events all the time. I wouldn’t call it full of drugs either.
I agree Memorial park is getting a lot better. The point I’m trying to make is that I didn’t see any pavilions, a roller rink, tennis courts, or playgrounds like I see at memorial park. Only a walkway.
The slick, pricey, full-color Prop B promotions the City has been mailing to voters in recent days acknowledges the new sales tax in small font, and I had to laugh when I read that the aldermen had agreed to end the new tax in 2044! Many of us will be dead by then, or driven out of Brentwood by then by relentless increases in sales taxes, real-estate assessments and taxes, sewer rates, school district taxes, etc. And unlike TIFs, sales taxes never end in reality. When it comes time for them to expire, politicians always find a way to keep them in force. Can you name one sales tax in our region that has ever sunsetted? I was considering voting for Prop B until I received a mailer from the Metropolitan Sewer District yesterday asking me to vote for Prop S and pay an additional $2.50 each month for a new MSD program. We just approved a new sales tax for the Zoo. These projects and goals are all admirable, but residents with low and fixed incomes cannot continue to endure these endless tax hikes. As Mr. Madden observed, “We’ve reached the breaking point, folks.”
If you want to see high taxes head on over to Glendale, Kirkwood or Webster, my aunt owns the same home in Glendale as my mother here in brentwood real estate taxes are 1200$ more a year and my mothers house is way nicer with a 2 car attached garage
How much taxpayer money did city officials spend on these pricey mailings aimed at influencing our vote? And how much taxpayer money did they spent on the public relations firm that created the “BrentwoodBound” sales-tax campaign? All very slick and polished.
This tax increase wouldn’t be needed if the corrupt politicos that have run Brentwood over the past two decades were not lining their pockets and their friends with the city’s money…
Wish I could say I was sure you’re wrong…
Uncle Jedd,
Your comment is completely unhelpful in this discussion. You have made a vague, unsubstantiated accusation of corruption against 20 years worth of elected officials. If you truly believe that the “corrupt politicos” are “lining their pockets and their friends with the city’s money”, you should be taking your suspicions and any evidence you have to the county or state government for a complete investigation. As far as I can tell, you’re just some disgruntled resident that is making vaguely libelous statements.
You realize that most of us have jobs, lives etc which don’t allow us the time to launch political investigations or forensic analysis of city government, right? As to “libelous”, maybe we should ask Chris Seemayer about corruption. Or the maniacs who tried to run Ald. Saunders out of government. I’ve heard personally from another Alderman that a past mayor spent a lot of time on the golf course with real estate developers. Maybe nothing, but it’s a data point.
I’m not sure the broad brush charges are correct, but you have to admit it has happened. And when you see the current mayor drop out of public life with no reason given after one term, and the apparent mayor in waiting running unopposed without campaigning or even sending out mailers, it might make you wonder what’s going on. Go ahead and advocate for the project if you think it’s a good idea, but maybe try being a little less dismissive of realistic concerns being raised about the motives of the local movers & shakers. Seriously, I hope it’s all squeaky clean and above board, I just don’t know that it is.
It would be nice to end the occasional creek floods and fund the park and trail amenities the City is promising in its Proposition B ballot measure, but I will be voting against this latest proposed sales-tax hike next Tuesday. In fact, I’ve reached the point where I will not be voting for another local sales-tax hike unless there’s a corresponding offset to ensure no net tax increase. (For example, I would only support a new half-cent levy if the existing tax rate is reduced by that same amount.) Like a growing number of area consumers, I now find myself trying to avoid purchasing goods in Brentwood — especially big-ticket items — because of the high sales taxes. According to KMOV-TV, Brentwood already has one of the highest rates in our region, and increasing this rate further would be self-defeating by driving away more shoppers and their money. Most of Brentwood’s retailers are located in special TIF and TDD taxing districts where the current sales-tax rate is not 9% but more than 10%, and KMOV says passage of Proposition B would boost this rate to an alarming 10.5%. We’ve reached the breaking point folks.
What’s the average individual sale at target? I’m going to guess $50 dollars. So this means you’ll spend 9.1125 % vs. 9.925% ( The promenade already has a higher sale tax rate of 9.425% due to a TDD) if Prop B passes. If you choose to shop at the Brentwood target That comes out to be a 0.40 cent difference in you $50 dollar total. Is it worth your time to drive all the way over to Kirkwood to save .40 cents, most people will will probably pay the extra 1/2 a penny sales tax and not waste their time. Actually most people will probably be oblivious to the fact that they are paying a little more at the checkout lines, and the people that are really worried about will just buy online and pay 0% sales tax on their purchases. A few other things to keep in mind is that the tax does sunset in 25 years and they say that’s a worst case scenario, it could be payed off sooner. Also many of the existing TIF’S are reaching the end of their life span and some are scheduled to be payed off early 2020-2025 ish’ that could potentially reduce the sales tax rate when that happens
I think the effects of incremental increases like this are cumulative. The damage on that $50 is $5, whereas it should be somewhere around $3-$4. Over time, people will notice that they’re paying more for everything they buy in Brentwood. It’s a balancing act I know, but I haven’t observed a lot of belt-tightening around City Hall lately, or ever, to tell the truth. Sincere question; has anyone else?
3 dollars on 50 would be 6%, good luck find a place that not in the middle of nowhere with a tax rate that low.
sp. finding
Yeah, I get that. Should have said “in a saner world, where there are reasonable limits on, and oversight of, local politicians, it should be around $3-$4…”.
I still haven’t decided. I see the need to do something down there. It’s getting ugly. However, I don’t much like that they started this thing, borrowed a boatload of money, and THEN sprung a tax increase on us. That feels kind of skeevy. Near as I can tell, the only difference between this go around and the last time they tried it is that they came up with some sort of “plan” this time.
I would like to see some of the developer type guys who are always hanging around this kind of deal front some of the money to the project. Still thinking about it.
I can tell you the first thing they need to do is make the bank, who owns that property and stands to make a boatload of money of the Brentwood taxpayer, clean the property up and make it meet at least our property maintenance codes.
What happens if Better Together passes in Novemeber 2020? My understanding is that municipalities will lose control over local sales tax. Would the Brentwood Bound project lose funding and be stopped?