SWIFT ACTION STOPS INCREASES IN FARM TAXES

An effort by the State Tax Commission to sharply increase higher property taxes for Missouri farm acreage was rolled back by timely action by the General Assembly earlier this month. Good for the lawmakers. It didn't seem to make much sense to most Missourians to raise real estate taxes by double digits at the same time state government is refunding hundreds of millions in overpayments of taxes across the state.

Reassessment happens every two years under state law, and the legislative action is good only through the next reassessment. The Legislature had 60 days from the date of convening last month to act in rejecting the proposed increases. The farm property tax increases would have averaged 13 percent, with some as high as 17 percent in one fell swoop. At dispute was the method of computing farmland values based on a calculation of productivity. Agricultural producers sharply disputed the proposed valuations and saw their arguments prevail. Score one for the people, and their elected representatives, over the three unelected members of the state tax commission.