REASSESSMENT HITS SCOTT COUNTY; COUNTY OVERDUE FOR INCREASE: HOUCHIN

BENTON -- Many Scott County property owners will be paying higher taxes next year. The question is, just how much higher?

Scott County Assessor Teresa Houchin said some property values went up by 30 percent and 5,000 of the county's 20,000 property owners were issued impact notices.

Houchin said the jump is due to a state-ordered adjustment in the index her office used to calculate property value. In 1989 and 1992, an index of 1.30 was used. This year the county used an index of 1.75.

"Nearly every home got hit with some kind of an increase," Houchin said. "Some were a lot more major that others."

Houchin said the index increase brings the county's property values closer to market value. She said the index should have been adjusted in earlier assessments. Because it wasn't, the increase this year will be a bigger leap for property owners.

"It's been 12 years since the index has been changed," Houchin said.

Missouri counties were ordered by the Missouri Tax Commission to increase their tax indexes to correspond with current market values. The extend of the index increase was challenged in February by five counties, including Dunklin and Pemiscot.

Dunklin County won a lawsuit in April that challenged the state's index. The state had ordered Dunklin County to use an index of 1.96. The county successfully sued to reduce that to 1.56. The Tax Commission has appealed that ruling to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Indexes are usually based on local costs of construction and market values in each neighborhood. Dunklin County's assessor claimed the commission's studies did not accurately reflect market values.

Houchin said the cost of an average home used to be $60,000. That has increased to $80,000 over the years. Part of that increase is due to stricter construction codes. Scott County has been behind the market in the value of its homes.

Houchin said the index is the only thing that produced a significant change in most assessments and accounted for the vast majority of valuation increases. The index was also largely responsible for a $13,876,780 increase in overall residential property values for the county.

This year's assessments were: personal property, $65,895,000; residential real estate, $116,830,260; agricultural real estate, $15,308,620; and commercial real estate, $51,998,810.

Last year's assessments were: personal property, $63,972,880; residential real estate, $102,953,480; agricultural real estate, $14,996,480; and commercial real estate, $50,632,700.

Houchin said property owners who have questions about their assessments can call her office at 545-3535. Anyone wishing to contest their assessment can schedule an appointment for participation in a board of equalizations on July 8 at the Scott County Courthouse.