One of the items on the April 7, 2026 ballot relates to the Affton Fire Protection District (AFPD).
AFFTON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT - PROPOSITION F
Simple Majority Required
Shall the Affton Fire Protection District impose a sales tax of one percent for the purpose of providing revenues for the operation of the Affton Fire Protection District and the total property tax levy on properties in the Affton Fire Protection District shall be reduced annually by an amount which reduces property tax revenues by an amount equal to fifty percent of the previous year's revenue collected from this sales tax?
YES
NO
This will only appear on the ballots for residents in the "Annexed Area" in Ward 3 since only those residents are within the Affton Fire Protection District.
First, a little history
Prior to 2025, fire protection districts within St. Louis County were largely restricted to property taxes as their primary revenue source. However, fire protection districts in other parts of Missouri - especially in more rural areas - have long been allowed to ask voters to approve a sales tax to provide an additional source of funding.
In 2025, the Missouri Legislature approved Senate Bill 271, which extended that ability to fire protection districts within St. Louis County. As a result, many fire districts in the county are asking voters in April 2026 to consider such a tax.
Here are the districts that have a sales tax ballot item:
- Affton Fire Protection District
- Creve Coeur Fire Protection District
- Fenton Fire Protection District
- Florissant Fire Protection District
- Lemay Fire Protection District
- Metro North Fire Protection District
- Metro West Fire Protection District
- Mid-County Fire Protection District
- Monarch Fire Protection District
- North County Fire Protection District
- Pattonville Fire Protection District
- Spanish Lake Fire Protection District
- Valley Park Fire Protection District
- West County Fire Protection District
- West Overland Fire Protection District
Since these districts rely primarily on property taxes today, the St. Louis County senior tax freeze could affect their future revenues. It is my understanding that the Affton Fire Protection District (AFPD) has a relatively large number of senior property owners, which may increase the potential impact of that policy.
The new state law requires districts that adopt a sales tax to reduce their property tax revenue by 50% of the amount generated by the sales tax. For example, if a district receives $1 million in sales tax revenue in a year, it must reduce its property tax revenue by $500,000 the following year.
How Proposition F would work if approved
- A 1% sales tax would apply to retail purchases within the Affton Fire Protection District boundaries.
- The district would continue to collect property taxes but must reduce property tax revenue by50% of the sales tax revenue collected.
- Businesses located within the district collect the tax from customers and remit it through the state sales tax system.
- The revenues would be used for the operation of the Affton Fire Protection District.
If Affton’s sales tax is approved, it would apply only to businesses located within the boundaries of the Affton Fire Protection District (see map below). In Crestwood, this would add a 1% sales tax to businesses within that district, such as the Fairway Automotive plaza, Grace Chicken + Fish, and the Circle K gas station on Elm. Other businesses within Crestwood that are outside the district would not be affected.
Crestwood residents who live in the Annex Area have a somewhat unique relationship with the Affton District They vote on AFPD tax ballot items, but unlike other residents in the district, they do not pay those property taxes directly. Instead, state law requires that the City of Crestwood pays those taxes on behalf of the annexed area. As a result, that cost is shared by all Crestwood taxpayers.
The reason for this arrangement goes back to when the area was annexed into Crestwood in 1997. At that time, the area remained within the Affton Fire Protection District for fire and EMS services rather than being served by the Crestwood Fire Department. As part of that structure, the City of Crestwood pays the property tax equivalent to the Affton Fire Protection District for service in the annexed area. Residents in that area are still part of the district for voting purposes, which is why they vote on AFPD tax issues even though the city pays the property tax on their behalf.
Crestwood city leaders have worked for decades to eliminate or reduce the payment to Affton for service in the annexed area. The city now has a long-term agreement with AFPD that will significantly reduce those costs - at least $1.1 million between 2025 and 2031. If AFPD reduces its overall property tax levy in the future, those reductions would also lower the amount Crestwood pays under that agreement.
It’s also worth noting that AFPD and Crestwood have a strong working relationship and regularly provide mutual aid in support of each other’s jurisdictions. Fire departments throughout the region, including AFPD, play an important role in providing emergency services to the community.
Points voters may hear on both sides
As with most tax-related ballot issues, voters may hear different perspectives when considering Proposition F.
Supporters often note that a sales tax provides a broader revenue base than property taxes alone and may help stabilize funding for fire protection services. They also point out that the state law requires districts to reduce property tax revenue by a portion of the sales tax collected.
Opponents sometimes raise concerns about adding another local sales tax and whether the property tax reduction will fully offset the additional tax paid by consumers.
Like all sales tax ballot issues, voters need to weigh the value they may receive from those additional funds against the cost of the tax itself. I do not have an official stance on this proposition, but there are both potential benefits and costs to consider. Ultimately, each voter will need to decide whether the proposal makes sense for them.