Election 2024 – Missouri Sewer District: What is Proposition W? What is Proposition S?
ST. LOUIS – The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will present two key proposals for most voters in St. Louis City and St. Louis County during Tuesday’s municipal elections.
The proposals come in the form of Proposition W and Proposition S.
Both propositions are important in how they may affect customers’ future bills. MSD services all of St. Louis City and around 90% of St. Louis County.
As Election Day draws closer, FOX 2 breaks down what you need to know about both proposals.
What’s on your ballot for the April 2 Missouri election?
Proposition W
WHAT DOES IT DO?
MSD says Proposition W is an ambitious effort to keep local waterways clean.
Through MSD Project Clear, the organization is almost halfway through a $7.2 billion program to upgrade sewers in the St. Louis area and bring them into full compliance with the Clean Water Act. MSD is planning on $1.6 billion worth of improvements over the next four years to reach that benchmark.
Bess McCoy, MSD Project Clear Manager of Public Affairs, says there’s not really a feasible option to fund these improvements aside from changing customer rates.
“We can’t ask our customers, ‘Do you want us to make these improvements?'” said McCoy. “But what we can ask is how would like to pay for them. Prop W is would prefer to pay for them in cash, in which case, your rates are going to go up quite a bit. Or would you like MSD to borrow some of the funds and spread out those costs over time.”
WHAT DOES A “YES” VOTE MEAN?
A “yes” majority vote means that customers would like MSD Project Clear to borrow around $750,000 million worth of expenses that MSD would spread out. MSD estimates that monthly wastewater rates would go up roughly 7% over the next four years.
WHAT DOES A “NO” VOTE MEAN?
A “no” majority vote means that customers would prefer MSD to pay for future improvements through funds it directly receives from customers. MSD estimates that monthly wastewater rates could increase as much as 35% for an unspecified amount of time if customers opt against the proposal.
BALLOT QUESTION:
“To comply with federal and state clean water requirements, shall The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) issue its sewer revenue bonds in the amount of Seven Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($750,000,000) for the purpose of designing, constructing, improving, renovating, repairing, replacing and equipping new and existing MSD sewer and drainage facilities and systems, including sewage treatment and disposal plants, sanitary sewers, and acquisition of easements and real property related thereto, the cost of operation and maintenance of said facilities and systems and the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by MSD from the operation of its wastewater sewer system, including all future extensions and improvements thereto?”
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Proposition S
WHAT DOES IT DO?
MSD says Proposition S would create the first regional stormwater improvement program in the St. Louis area.
Case studies have shown an unprecedented increase in flooding and erosion problems around the St. Louis region over the last several years. Experts say most flooding and erosion cases go beyond the financial and technical capabilties of homeowners.
“This is our response to the growing problems we’re seeing with flooding and erosion,” said McCoy. “We’re seeing these problems get worse. Right now, there is no regional entity addressing these problems like flooding and erosion.
MSD says improvements would begin as soon as 2025 if this proposal is approved.
WHAT DOES A “YES” VOTE MEAN?
A “yes” majority vote means that MSD would move forward with a regional stormwater improvement program. It would cost the average customer around $25 per year to support such an opportunity.
“In areas where there needs to be a stormsewer, but one doesn’t exist, we could put one in,” said McCoy on MSD visions if Prop S is approved. “In areas where homes are being threatened by severe erosion we can stabilize those creek banks and save those homes.”
WHAT DOES A “NO” VOTE MEAN?
A “no” majority vote means that MSD would not move forward with a regional stormwater improvement program. Rejecting the proposal wouldn’t impact customer bills in the near future, but it could raise more concerns when flooding and erosion hit and make solutions more costly over time.
“Right now the region doesn’t have any solution to this,” said McCoy. “This [Prop S] would at least be a start.”
BALLOT QUESTION:
“Shall the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD), for the purpose of providing revenue to fund capital improvements for flooding and erosion control, impose (i) a property tax upon all residential taxable tangible property within the District at a rate of not more than Seven and 45/100 Cents ($0.0745) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) of assessed valuation and (ii) a charge upon all non-residential customers, whether public or private, within the District based on the amount of impervious area (IA) on each such customer’s real property at a rate of $1.05 per month per 1,000 square feet of IA?”
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More Information
Both Proposition W and Proposition S would pass with a simple majority vote between eligible St. Louis City and St. Louis County voting districts.
The St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners briefly addresses both proposal in an online summary document.
To learn more about MSD Project Clear, click here. Also search “MSDProjectClear” on Facebook, Instagram and X for updates on both proposals.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
