(TNS) — St. Charles County has extended the deadline for its senior property tax freeze after reporting a ‘bug’ had caused computer problems in the county.

The original deadline was June 30. Residents now have until July 6 to sign-up or renew.

County Collector Michelle McBride said the extension was necessary after a software ‘bug’ from a third-party vendor caused the online sign-up portal to crash 10 days ago. The website stayed offline until this past Wednesday.

“I just feel like it is the right thing to do, to give people more time to apply,” McBride told the Post-Dispatch.

She said no personal information was released as a result of the malfunction.

To receive the tax freeze, residents need to provide proof of property ownership, that the property is their primary residence and that they are at least 62 years old.

McBride said residents could still submit paper applications during the outage, but she knows many residents prefer to use the online portal.

The extension covers applications submitted online, through the mail and in-person, McBride said.

She said a relatively small number of people were likely impacted by the outage.

The county’s senior property tax freeze program, which was approved in March 2023, has 33,000 participants, including 1,500 first-time participants. More than 28,000 individuals had already submitted their renewal form or their application for the tax freeze prior to the outage.

Residents must reapply every year for the tax freeze program, though that could change: The County Council is considering removing the yearly renewal requirement.

McBride said she supports the proposed change.

“The main reason the renewal process was put in place, and rightfully so, was that it was a brand-new program,” McBride said. “We were going from ground zero, and we wanted to make sure there was minimal ability for fraud.”

The renewal process is no longer needed, McBride said.

Moreover, she said, it has created “unnecessary administrative burdens” for St. Charles County seniors.

Plus, she said, the county has new technology tools through the county assessor’s office that automatically notify the collector’s staff of property ownership changes. And the State’s Bureau of Vital Records, which issues death certificates, has agreed to alert the collector’s office when a death certificate is issued for a resident over the age of 62 in St. Charles County.

“With the resources and tools that we have, and the experience that we’ve had with this program, we feel it is time to eliminate this headache for the seniors,” McBride said.

Per the draft proposal, participants enrolled in the program would remain enrolled unless ownership of the property changes, the property no longer qualifies as their primary residence, or the person no longer meets eligibility requirements. A person could also be removed from the program if the county collector’s office requests updated documentation and does not receive it in a timely manner, McBride said.

“We will retain the right to audit the program, verifying that there isn’t fraud happening,” McBride said.

The Council is expected to vote July 13 on eliminating the renewal requirement, which would take effect in 2027.

© 2026 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Visit www.stltoday.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Missouri sportsbooks took $256,364,814 in wagers in May 2026, the lowest monthly handle since the market launched, yet operators posted their strongest revenue month yet at $21,250,814 on an 8.29% hold. The state collected $2,131,872 in tax. Six months after going live on December 1, 2025, Missouri has flipped the usual relationship between volume and revenue: handle keeps settling while revenue keeps climbing, because hold has risen steadily as the launch-period promotions fade. Online betting made up $252,593,427, or 98.53% of all wagers. Figures come from the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Missouri Sports Betting by Month, Since Launch

Six Months In, Revenue Sets a Record

May marks a milestone worth pausing on. Missouri’s revenue reached its highest point yet even though its handle sank to a new low, a sign the market has moved past the giveaway-heavy launch phase and into steadier economics. Across its first six months, the state has now taken roughly $2.06 billion in total wagers, produced about $100.1 million in operator revenue, and delivered $8.2 million in tax. Crossing $100 million in cumulative revenue in half a year underlines how quickly Missouri established itself as a mid-sized market.

Handle Settles as the Launch Surge Fades

The volume side keeps normalizing. December’s $543 million opening was inflated by launch-day demand and heavy sign-up promotions, and handle has stepped down almost every month since, landing at $256.4 million in May, less than half that peak. Part of the decline is seasonal, with the sports calendar thinning as the basketball and hockey postseasons wind down and football stays months away. Part is simply the novelty wearing off. Mobile sportsbooks in Missouri continue to carry the market almost entirely, at 98.53% of May handle, a share that has held above 98% in every month since launch.

The Hold Keeps Climbing

The defining trend is the win rate. Hold ran at 3.82% in December, bottomed at 1.74% in January, then rose in four straight steps to 3.72%, 6.30%, 7.42%, and 8.29% in May. That climb is the engine behind the record revenue: as operators pull back the free bets and bonus play that suppressed early margins, more of each wagered dollar sticks. An 8.29% hold is still below the double-digit figures common in older markets, which suggests Missouri’s margin has further room to firm up as the market matures.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – Governor Mike Kehoe signed Missouri’s Fiscal Year 2027 operating and capital improvement budget bills Tuesday, approving a plan that totals $50.7 billion.

In a news release, Kehoe said the budget is balanced and focuses on what he called “smart and necessary investments” while protecting taxpayer dollars.

What’s in the FY27 budget?

The governor’s office said the FY27 operating budget totals about $49.8 billion after vetoes, including $15.7 billion in general revenue.

State leaders highlighted several funding priorities:

Public safety

• $2 billion for law enforcement and community safety initiatives
• Includes funding for Missouri Blue Shield grants, Operation Relentless Pursuit and law enforcement academy scholarships, among other items

Economic development

• $338 million for business growth and innovation
• Includes support for the Missouri Technology Corporation, a statewide apprenticeship program, Missouri One Start and a public-private-employee shared funding child care model

Agriculture

• $59.4 million for agriculture and rural communities
• Includes investments tied to infrastructure and programs, including low-volume roads and Missouri FFA

Education

• $9.8 billion for K-12 and higher education
• Includes funding for the K-12 education foundation formula and transportation, the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program, career and technical centers and higher education

Health care

• $24.8 billion to support Missourians with physical, developmental and behavioral health needs
• Includes funding for self-directed supports, outpatient competency restoration and Medicaid reform

Concern over one-time funding, FY28 gap

The governor’s office said lawmakers stayed largely within his recommended spending levels, but did so by using $179.1 million in one-time cash to cover ongoing costs.

The state is also facing a projected shortfall of more than $500 million in FY28, according to the release.

“State government doesn’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem, and continuing to spend faster than we grow our economy is not a sustainable path forward,” Kehoe said in the news release.

Vetoes and spending restrictions

To meet the constitutional requirement of a balanced budget, Kehoe issued:

• 65 vetoes totaling more than $30 million in general revenue
• 78 expenditure restrictions totaling $441.3 million, including $337.2 million in general revenue

The governor’s office said the vetoes and restrictions were largely tied to new projects, improper funding sources for new appropriations or an over-appropriation of various funds.

What’s next

Budget discussions are expected to continue as state officials look ahead to FY28 and the projected gap.