Platte County doubling down on not raising taxes

PLATTE CO., Mo. (KCTV) - The county commission, the county clerk, and the board of equalization stood firm, refusing the State Tax Commission order to raise residential property assessments 15%.

According to the State Tax Commission, in 2023, residential property assessments came in 19% below the market value on average. They expected assessments to increase this year to catch up. Instead, they went down another 7%. That’s why they’re asking for the 15% immediate increase.

“It threatens the financial stability of hardworking Platte County families and should be unconstitutional,” said Scott Fricker, the presiding county commissioner. “Typically, you get an assessment increase notice, and if you want to appeal, you can; that right is gone.

Fricker spoke passionately on Friday morning in a short press conference addressing the situation.

He blames two things:

“Platte County Assessor David Cox’s failure to complete the County’s mandatory biannual residential reassessment; and the county’s five school districts who are demanding property tax increases and who apparently can’t operate without massive annual revenue increases paid for on the backs of hardworking Platte County taxpayers,” Fricker said.

After the press conference, Cox spoke to KCTV5, saying he didn’t do anything wrong.

“I’m not going to play childish games with this,” Cox said. “I have done everything that I’m required as far as the statutes are concerned. I completed my reassessment.”

Cox went through the 2023 numbers and explained why some values were not increased:

Fricker also put the blame on the five school districts, as they have written letters to the STC asking for help.

“They are furious that their property evaluations didn’t go up 10% because they have budgeted increases,” Fricker said. “Maybe they should figure out how to do less with more.”

Kelly Wachel with the Park Hill School District said this is an issue between the County and the STC.

“It’s very unfair and actually very inaccurate for us to be blamed for this issue when in fact this is a county issue that has been in conversation and they’ve been on notice for several years,” Wachel said. “We know that public schools receive heavy funding in Missouri from our local taxpayers. They support our public schools, and it’s also important to note that whenever assessment evaluations increase, school districts are not the direct beneficiary of all those increases.”

Fricker said while he would rather not, he’s prepared to fight this in court and has been talking to the Governor.

“The Platte County Commission, the County Clerk, and the Board of Equalization are united in pursuing all legal and administrative remedies to overturn this decision and to advocate for a fair and transparent reassessment process,” Fricker said. “We encourage the public and all elected officials to stand with us and fight this unjust action by the Missouri State Tax Commission.”