Property reassessment

Washington (Mo.) Missourian

The Joint Committee on Tax Policy of the Missouri General Assembly, chaired by State Rep. Mike Sutherland of Warrenton, Mo., is going to take a hard look at the property assessment process in the state. For nearly 20 years, Missouri has had a property reassessment program. The idea is that assessments need to be updated as values increase or decrease.

The process includes a tax rollback provision. This is the major problem. For most property owners, a higher value is given every two years. Supposedly, the tax rates are rolled back so the taxing entities don't receive a revenue windfall. It hasn't worked. Most property owners pay more in taxes every two years -- more of an increase than the spirit of the law intended.

We hope Sutherland's committee will concentrate on the rollback provision in the law. It needs to be changed.