Two Cape County factories ask for break on taxes, are denied

Cape Girardeau County's Board of Equalization denied giving a second look to the amount of taxes paid by two manufacturing companies during the county commission meeting Monday.

Buzzi Unicem USA, a cement manufacturing plant in the south end of Cape Girardeau, appealed to the board for a reduction in property and real estate taxes, citing a need for a break due to the recession. Rubbermaid, in Jackson, asked for the board to order a reassessment of the value of its facility based on square footage because the company believes the county's current assessed value is too high.

The Board of Equalization meets annually to review appeals to taxes and make changes to the amount of taxes paid based on assessed valuations. County commissioners and two citizens make up the board's membership.

Appraiser Roger Arnzen told the board Buzzi Unicem's tax amount reassessment would require a costly appraisal by an outside professional and could cost up to $100,000 due to the size of the property and the amount of equipment the manufacturer has on site. The company is currently paying personal property and real estate taxes on the plant at an amount based off the assessed valuation of around $40 million.

Commissioners said the amount of a tax reduction for the company, which could be as much as $190,000, would have too negative of an effect on the Cape Girardeau School District budget, which is the main beneficiary of the taxes the company pays.

Assessor Jerry Reynolds said the county never tries to be a "stumbling block for industry," but the company's amount requested for a tax break was just too large.

The company said in its appeal that cement sales and values are down and that it does not believe the current assessed values are accurate. It does, however, still have an option to make a similar appeal at the state level, according to Arnzen, and if successful the resulting decision could affect the amount it pays in the county.

Arnzen and Reynolds said they believed the amount of taxes Rubbermaid currently pays is accurate based on values of similar facilities.

The board normally reviews several requests for reassessed property values each year, although the county is only required to reassess all the real property every odd-numbered year -- 2013 is the next reassessment year.

Commissioners also approved a motion to allow District 1 Commissioner Paul Koeper seek a historic preservation grant that would provide around $60,000 for painting and tuckpointing on the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau. Koeper said the funding for the projects if the grant is received would require a 40 percent match by the county.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

1 Barton Square, Jackson, MO