Property Tax Rates Hold Steady for the Coming Year

Summer heat is refusing to vacate the forecast today, pushing the mercury well into the nineties before the library hosts an afternoon blood drive and evening cards. Drink plenty of water and plan your outdoor errands before the midday sun peaks.

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The Lead

Festus leaders locked in the city’s property tax levies this week, concluding the mandatory public hearing and council vote required before the state’s annual October 1 deadline.

Under Missouri’s Hancock Amendment, local taxing jurisdictions must recalculate rates whenever reassessment values fluctuate, ensuring municipal revenues expand only within strict inflation thresholds. Operating under those statutory constraints, the council maintained a stable tax rate across general operations, parks maintenance, and municipal debt retirement. For homeowners, the steady levy means city property taxes will remain virtually flat on upcoming county statements, keeping municipal collections predictable while preserving dedicated funding for ongoing street resurfacing, park maintenance, and emergency service staffing.

The adopted tax ordinance now heads to the Jefferson County Collector's Office in Hillsboro to be certified and incorporated into this winter's property tax bill distribution.

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Local Pulse

• Red Cross Blood Drive Opens This Afternoon Health Donors can stop by the public library between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM to help replenish regional hospital supplies.

• First Friday Food Trucks Return to Crites Parks Families can head to Turtle Cove this Friday afternoon for local food trucks and live outdoor DJ music.

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Today's Outlook

• High 95°F · Low 67°F — Overcast
  • Overcast skies offer little relief from unseasonable afternoon heat, so stay hydrated outdoors today.

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What's On Around Town

Today

• Red Cross Blood Drive Festus Public Library (400 W Main St), 1:00–5:00 PM · Free Donate blood locally to help replenish critical hospital supplies.

• Magic: The Gathering Meetup Festus Public Library (400 W Main St), 5:00–7:00 PM · Free Casual tabletop trading card games and tutorials for newcomers.

• Weekly Bar Bingo Kozzy's (516 N Main St), De Soto, 7:00 PM · Free Midweek prize bingo and neighborhood dining on Main Street.

Tomorrow

• Pickleball Open Play Arnold Recreation Center (1695 Missouri State Rd), Arnold, 5:00–7:00 PM

• Arnold City Council Meeting Arnold City Hall (2101 Jeffco Blvd), Arnold, 7:00–8:00 PM · Free

Friday

• Together We Color Fun Run Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, 10:00 AM

• Festus High School Homecoming Parade Festus High School (501 Westwind Dr), 1:00–2:00 PM · Free

• 1st Fridays at Turtle Cove Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, 3:00–8:00 PM · Free

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Spotlight & Story

• Lenhard Family Light Show
  • Justin Lenhard began synchronizing holiday displays at his home before neighborhood traffic outgrew residential streets, prompting the city to offer Crites Park. Today, 120,000 individually mapped pixel lights and 19 computers sync songs broadcast directly across car radios on 99.7 FM.

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Festus Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.

Sent with care by MailerDot — your city, every morning.