CAPE COUNTY VALUES JUMP 10.8 PERCENT

JACKSON, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County Assessor Jerry Reynolds knows he'll make some property owners mad.

After all, it's a reassessment year.

In Missouri, real estate must be reassessed every odd-numbered year, a practice that often puts taxpayers and county assessors at odds. The Cape Girardeau County assessor's office reviewed over 32,000 parcels of agricultural, commercial and residential land.

Reynolds' office mailed out 9,000 notices late last week to taxpayers whose properties have increased in assessed value because of reassessment or new construction. The first batch of notices went out Thursday, and by Friday the assessor's office was already receiving calls from irate taxpayers.

Reynolds said only 500 impact notices were mailed last year, all due to new construction.

In Cape Girardeau County, real estate values total $543,779,170 -- up 10.8 percent over a year ago.

"We have had a tremendous increase," said Reynolds, who in February projected assessed values would climb by about 7 percent, on average, throughout the county.

City figures

In the rapidly developing city of Jackson, assessed values soared more than $11.4 million to $101.6 million.

Assessed values of land in the city of Cape Girardeau rose more than $27 million to $296.5 million.

Those figures don't include state-assessed railroad and utility valuations, which Reynolds' office has yet to receive.

While assessed valuations jumped nearly 11 percent countywide, Reynolds said some individual taxpayers saw reassessments much higher or lower.

Assessed values are calculated at 32 percent of market value for commercial property and 19 percent for residential property. Farm land is assessed at 12 percent of the productivity of the land based on a soil classification system set up by the State Tax Commission. Property taxes are levied on the basis of assessed values.

Appeal process

Property owners can appeal the assessed valuations to the county's Board of Equalization, as required by state law. The impact notices explain the process, Reynolds said.

The Board of Equalization will consider appeals from June 11 through July 28. The board includes Reynolds, the three county commissioners and the county auditor.

Taxpayers must do more than rant and rave to convince the board to change the assessed value of a piece of property. According to the impact notice, a property owner must provide a real estate appraisal or a recent sales contract, or, for commercial properties, a detailed income and expense analysis of the property.

In non-reassessment years, Reynolds said, only a handful of taxpayers appeal to the board. This year, he estimated, 20 to 30 taxpayers may file appeals.

Greg Tlapek, a Libertarian Party leader in Cape Girardeau, said most taxpayers feel the appeals process is a waste of time. "I think people don't think there is anything they can do about it," said Tlapek, who contends taxes are too high.

Reassessment, he said, is tantamount to a tax hike. "It is a tricky way of raising taxes without raising taxes."

Tlapek said more people would be up in arms about increased property values if the county notices showed what they will be paying in property taxes later this year.

How to appeal * Property owners who feel the Cape Girardeau County assessor's office has assessed the value of their land too high can appeal to the Board of Equalization.

* To appeal, call the assessor's office at 243-3123 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

* The Board of Equalization will hear appeals June 11-July 28.

* Property owners must present documentation, such as sales contracts or certified appraisals, to show evidence of the market value of the real estate in question.