"Somehow, I will rebuild my family home right back here," said homeowner Arletta Bonds, who takes an axe to a radiator in hopes of making some money on the scrap metal before thieves steal it on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in the remains of her destroyed home in the Greater Ville neighborhood of ¹û½´ÊÓƵ. Bonds owns two homes and does not have insurance on either. She inherited one from her mother, and bought the other from a neighbor.
ST. LOUIS — Aldermen have approved a plan to waive some taxes owed on homes destroyed by the tornado earlier this month.
The bill passed Friday would allow the city assessor to reduce tax bills on such homes to reflect the amount of time people were living in them this year.
That is, if people were living in a house from Jan. 1 until the tornado hit it, and they don’t come back for the rest of the year, taxes on the house would be reduced by 63%.
The bill would not affect taxes on the land destroyed houses sit on, but that is generally a small part of property tax bills in the city.
Alderwoman Pam Boyd, who represents a wide swath of the city’s hard-hit North Side, carried the bill at the recommendation of the mayor’s office and the assessor’s office.
Officials estimate the bill could cost the city up to $220,000 this year, and up to $400,000 next year.
Residents on May 17, 2025 in the Fountain Park and Academy neighborhoods talked about their experiences and feelings during and after a tornado hit the area on May 16. Video by Allie Schallert, Post-Dispatch
The Shelley House played a role in paving the way for minority homeownership. After the tornado, residents on the street try to save their fam…
"Somehow, I will rebuild my family home right back here," said homeowner Arletta Bonds, who takes an axe to a radiator in hopes of making some money on the scrap metal before thieves steal it on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in the remains of her destroyed home in the Greater Ville neighborhood of ¹û½´ÊÓƵ. Bonds owns two homes and does not have insurance on either. She inherited one from her mother, and bought the other from a neighbor.
