THE COUNTY COLLECTOR WILL NOT REQUIRE SENIOR TAX CREDIT RENEWAL APPLICATIONS
St. Francois County Collector Angie Usery has said those enrolled in the Senior Tax Credit program will not be required to submit renewal applications going forward. She said her staff will research the status of each program participate on an annual basis. It was previously reported that seniors would need to send in a short renewal application every year, proving they are alive and are still the primary property owners.
“We’ve had a lot of phone calls inquiring about what (seniors) need to do,” Usery said. “Basically, we need to know if they have moved from their residence or if they have passed away”. These would be the main two factors that could result in the parcel being removed from the program. By doing the research ourselves we hope to alleviate the seniors of the burden of having to renew each year.
The Senior Tax Credit program went into effect in St. Francois County in 2025. Usery said her department received 3,398 applications by the May 30 deadline.
Enrollment for the base year of 2026 begins on Monday, March 2, 2026, and ends Friday, May 29, 2026. You will need to apply in-person at the St. Francois County Collector’s office, located at 1 W. Liberty St., Ste 201 (2nd floor), Farmington, MO.
We will enroll seniors each day from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. There they will be given any instruction needed and after filling out the short application a copy of their driver’s license or other government issued ID will be made for their file. If there is a Trust or an LLC involving the real estate they are applying for the credit on, we ask that they please also bring the trust and the operating agreement if an LLC.
Qualifications for the tax credit include being 62 years or older as of January 1, 2026; being a homeowner; being liable for paying real property taxes; and not being delinquent on real property tax payments.
Applicants must provide documentation showing proof of residency, including a copy of their government issued driver’s license and proof of ownership, such as a copy of a real property tax receipt showing the applicant’s name and address.
If approved the seniors will receive a credit equal to the difference between their real estate tax liability for the given tax year and the liability in the “base” year. For example, seniors who are approved for the tax credit this year 2026, will have a partial freeze on their tax statements based on 2026 on their 2027 tax statements and when there are future reassessments done.
Certain factors may incrementally raise the property tax level, however. Some taxes, such as the Missouri Blind Pension Fund, are exempt from the freeze as well as bond indebtedness. Also, property taxes may increase if a senior homeowner makes improvements to his or her home, thus increasing the home’s value.
Though the total amount of lost revenue due to the credit is not yet known, there will be loss to those districts listed on all our tax bills.
Every year, the collector’s office will send the total list of senior tax credit names to the Bureau of Vital Records, which will flag any names of deceased program participants, Usery said.
When we get that list back, we will go into the senior tax credit accounts that are flagged and see if there was a co-applicant, and if there is, they will become the applicant and the deceased applicant will be removed, she said. “If there is no co-applicant, then that parcel will be removed from the program.”
Usery said the county’s software provider is working to develop a report for her staff to tell which parcels involved in the senior tax credit have new owners as well as having this information given to her office from the Assessor. Any parcels under new ownership will be removed from the program once that information is received.
The Collector and her staff appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we all navigate through the process of learning how to best handle this added task. Usery said that as we move forward, she hopes to continue finding ways to streamline the process, making it easier for the seniors and all those involved.