Parson signs bill freezing property taxes for seniors

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday signed a bill that will freeze property taxes for seniors. 

Senate Bill 190 was passed by Missouri legislators in June with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Eligible taxpayers for the freeze, according to the bill, are defined as residents who:

• Are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits;
• Are the owner of record of or have a legal or equitable interest in a homestead; and
• Are liable for the payment of real property taxes on such homestead.

The only Missouri single filers who pay currently taxes on their social security are those that make $85,000 or more, or if they are joint-filing and make $100,000 a year or more. The bill’s tax breaks will eliminate those taxes for them. 

With property taxes on the rise across the state, the bill is supposed to help seniors who live month to month off their Social Security benefits which is a large part of Rep. Cheri Reisch’s (R-Hallsville) district.  

“We’ve had a 16 percent increase in our property values therefore just do the math our property taxes will also increase. when we get these tax bills in November that are due December 31st for senior citizens who are on retirement or fixed income and it’s very difficult to come up with that large sum of money,” Reisch told ABC 17 News. 

Counties still must approve property tax breaks. Reisch does not believe Boone County will approve it.  Boone County District II Commissioner Janet Thompson says the commission is trying to figure out how the bill should be interpreted so they can provide a meaningful impact for taxpayers. 

“It’s broader than what people think it is," she said. "The Legislature's intent was to provide tax relief for senior citizens but there is a real question because of the language of the bill as to who is actually eligible.”

If a county does not approve these tax breaks, there is another way to get them. A petition can be submitted to the county commission signed by five percent of the voters in the last governor's election.

Reisch believes it would be very easy to get enough signatures in Boone County. 

“There was a total ballots cast of almost 92 thousand [in Boone County] so 5 percent of that is about 4,600. So to get 4,600 signatures in the county of Boone, I don’t think that would be hard to get,” Reisch explained to ABC 17. 

Thompson said she would not have a problem if the commissioner's ruling got overturned. 

“Boone County voters are smart people and if after due deliberation they think that’s something that needs to happen then as you say that’s part of this legislation it allows for that,” Thompson said.