ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Senior citizens in St. Louis County are running out of patience with the impasse of the senior citizens property tax freeze program.

The program is caught in a dispute between the majority of the St. Louis County Council and the county executive. Although citizens were promised the program a year ago, they still aren’t able to apply for the tax break.

Homeowner Mary Clynes is one of many who is left upset.

“As a senior on a fixed income, I think it’s ridiculous, and actually, it’s quite sad…it shouldn’t be this difficult,” Clynes said. “I’ve been calling for three weeks now, both the St. Louis County Government Center as well as the Collector of Revenue, and the continued response I get is, ‘We don’t know.’”

The disagreement in officials stems over money. The Department of Revenue said they need $1.7 million to hire employees and download the software needed to get the program running.

But the council only agreed to give them $300,000. However, one Councilman, Ernie Trakas, says a larger appropriation is needed.

“For starters…mishandling is the better term in terms of the council’s performance on the senior tax freeze. Everyone who voted for it had to know that $300,000 was never going to be enough,” he said.

Trakas has been pushing to give the Department of Revenue at least $900,000 for the program this year, otherwise, he says seniors will suffer.

“2025 is an assessment year, that means all these homes will be reassessed…many, if not all, will be reassessed as a higher value than they are now based on the assessors track record to this point,” he said. “I think that the only way that there’s any hope, even in 2025…is with additional funding being appropriated as soon as possible.”