By Kathy Feist
Last November, the Jackson County Legislature passed its version of Missouri’s Senate Bill 190, which froze property taxes for seniors. However, that version of the senate bill is in jeopardy of being invalidated based on legislation approved by the Missouri House of Representatives on March 28.
Last year’s legislation, Senate Bill 190, authorized each county to determine whether to grant eligible property owners a freeze on their property taxes. However, some county ordinances, like Jackson County’s, limited the tax freeze to less wealthy homeowners. Some counties excluded property taxes owed to other local governments, such as schools and fire districts, from the credit.
House Bill 2432 clarifies that all homeowners age 62 or older are entitled to the credit and bars counties from imposing a means test on eligibility or protecting schools and other local governments from losing revenue. If the bill becomes a law, then existing ordinances in conflict, such as Jackson County’s, could be struck down in a court of law.
Jackson County’s eligibility requirements include that “the property must be less than $550,000.”
Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith will address the issue in an upcoming Southern Communities Coalition meeting on Wednesday, April 17, at 7 pm, at the Ruskin High School library, 7000 111th St.
Another guest speaker, Michael Shaw, Director of Public Works, KCMO, will discuss new trash bins.
Southern Communities Coalition holds monthly meetings to address issues affecting Hickman Mills neighborhoods. For more information, call 816-966-0855.