Help Needed: Proposed Tax Hurts Pets!

Your Help Needed!

Proposed tax on non-profits could harm area charities, affect vital services
Hearing set for 9 a.m. this Thursday at St. Louis City Hall, Kennedy Room 208

St. Louis Alderman Stephen Conway, chair of the St. Louis City Budget Committee, has proposed collecting an additional 1/2 % payroll tax from St. Louis-based non-profit organizations.

To charities like the Humane Society of Missouri, an additional tax means less funding to rescue, heal and find forever homes for the thousands of abused and neglected animals we help every year. We work hard to ensure every donation benefits homeless animals. This proposal diverts money from that mission.

All city residents and employees of companies in St. Louis City, including non-profit organizations, pay a 1% earnings tax to St. Louis City. Additionally taxing charities that provide essential services the City would otherwise have to provide is counterproductive and will harm City residents and damage St. Louis’ economy.

Finally, below you will find some background information pertaining to the extensive services the Humane Society provides each and every day to the City of St. Louis at absolutely no cost to taxpayers. You may wish to use some of these points in communicating with your Alderman.

All of us at the Humane Society of Missouri would be most appreciative if you could provide assistance with this request.

For many years HSMO has provided vital, costly services to St. Louis City, at no cost to the City:

• Receiving 5,500 unwanted and stray animals annually from City zip codes, preventing the spread of disease and protecting community safety.
• Spending $6.5 million to take in 25,000+ stray and unwanted animals since the City made the decision to close its animal shelter in 2010.
• Spending $551,000 to provide no-cost spay/neuter service to 6,300 pets of City residents to alleviate pet overpopulation when City animal control services were limited.
• Bringing unconditional love to thousands of pet adopters as the largest source of adoptable, companion animals in Missouri.
• Professional animal rescue, investigation and prosecution support of cases of animal abuse, in cooperation with law enforcement.
• Humane education programs teaching respect for all living creatures for thousands of at-risk children.

Many, many thanks for your time and attention to this matter.

Gratefully,

Kathy