Council Gives Green Light For City’s First Electric Vehicles & Charging Stations

Webster-Kirkwood Times
Brandi Schubert
Sept/ 19, 2022

During months of tough budget talks earlier this year, Webster Groves city officials remained resolute in their commitment to fund a more sustainable community.

Last week, council members unanimously approved the first round of spending toward that end, authorizing purchase of the city’s first electric vehicles for the police department and the installation of six charging stations at city hall.

The electric vehicles, two 2023 Mustang Mach-Es, have a combined price tag of $132,140 — roughly $2,000 higher than originally budgeted — and council members approved a budget amendment to allow for the price increase. 

The charging stations are bid at $64,493. The city will use funding from the American Rescue Plan to cover the expenses for both.

Mayor Laura Arnold said in light of the severe, record-breaking weather that has impacted Webster Groves, electrification of the city’s fleet and infrastructure to support it is a move toward positive environmental change.

“One of the things we all know about this flooding is it’s unprecedented, and we as a community have to take responsibility for what we do in terms of our environmental stewardship,” she said. “This is a step in that direction.”

Property Taxes

In other news, the city held two public hearings on property taxes for 2022, the first on levying and establishing the rate of annual property taxes to be collected for 2022 by Webster Groves and the second for the Webster Groves Library District.

While property owners can expect a slight decrease in the assessed value of their residential property, personal property has increased more than 25%, mostly due to a spike in the value of used cars — largely accelerated by global semi-conductor and supply chain issues. 

Webster residents are not alone in the increase, according to Eric Peterson, assistant city manager and director of finance and administration.

“Almost every municipality in the state had a 20% to 26% jump, and that is due to used cars mostly,” he said. “Car values shot up, so all of us will likely pay more for our vehicle.”

The 2022 tax rates will be adopted at the Sept. 20 city council meeting. More information about property tax, and a new interactive property value and tax data tool are available online at WebsterGrovesMo.gov/101/Property-Tax.