By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
DeKalb County has joined four other counties to sue the Missouri Tax Commission.
The counties claim in a lawsuit that demands by the commission to increase local property assessments and unfair and exceed the commission’s authority. DeKalb is joined by Polk, Audrain, Pike, and Reynolds Counties in the lawsuit which has been filed in Polk County.
The Missouri Tax Commission recently ordered counties to bring property values in line with market rates, which could raise some assessment as high as 90 to 110%. Many local county assessors argue the increases do not reflect local conditions and could lead to steep tax hikes. The commission has threatened to withhold state reimbursement funds if the counties do not comply.
“County officials are sworn to protect the interests of their residents,” DeKalb County Presiding Commissioner, Kyle Carroll, said in a written statement released by the county. “The State Tax Commission’s directive would force small business owners to shoulder steep tax increases without due consideration of the economic realities in our communities.”
Carroll also raised concerns about the timing of the Tax Commission order.
“Some of the counties involved have already established their tax levy,” Carroll said in the written statement. “By issuing this mandate so late in the levy-setting process, the State Tax Commission has created unnecessary confusion. In fact, counties may not be able to comply at all, because other deadlines under state law are August 31st. This puts our County and entities in an impossible position.”
Melissa Meek, DeKalb County Clerk, agreed.
“The timing of this order could not be worse,” Meek said in a written statement “Local taxing entities would either end up collecting far too much or not nearly enough to meet their budgets. On top of that, taxpayers would not see the impact of these increases until they receive their bills in November, giving businesses no time to plan financially. It is both unfair and irresponsible to spring such a burden on our local businesses at the last minute.”
The lawsuit challenges the State Tax Commission’s authority to impose its mandate. It alleges the directive undermines the rights of taxpayers and local control. The counties argue that property assessments should reflect fair market value and be determined by local officials.
The suit also requests that the state be barred from withholding reimbursement funds as a punitive measure against counties that resist the directive.
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