CAUTION NEEDED ON ANY TAX PLAN

A Missouri Senate bill recently given first-round approval in that chamber would affect taxes paid by landowners. It would let voters decide whether local property tax rates should be determined by nearby developed property. The bills' sponsor, state Sen. Walt Mueller, R-St. Louis County, said the provision would let counties increase their economic development.

Other senators raised concerns that the measure could force landowners to sell because they couldn't afford higher rates based on nearby developed property. "This bill could force you to develop your property," said Sen. Harold Caskey, D-Butler. "It's a major departure for Missouri. ... I don't think Missouri is ready to take this step."

Mueller, a residential real estate appraiser, said, "That may be a side-effect and that may happen in some cases, but it gives citizens a great deal of flexibility."

As the sponsor, Mueller bears a burden of proof that he hasn't yet met with vague statements such as the one quoted above. Senators should proceed cautiously as they consider this measure on final approval, known in legislative parlance as third-reading. Any change in our tax laws promising so major a departure from existing practice should first be determined to do no harm.