Four Texas County taxing districts could have levied higher levies but chose not to do so, according to a report by Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway, whose office reviews rates to determine if rates are compliant with state law.
According to the report:
•The Houston School District’s levy could have been about 30 cents higher on its debt service.
•Cabool’s tax levy is $2.7677. The ceiling was $2.8582.
•Raymondville’s levy was about penny below the ceiling.
•Texas County’s rate is .0425 cents per $100 assessed valuation. It could have been .2658.
Tax bills went into the mail in early November and are due Dec. 31. The state auditor’s office does not make recommendations on property rates or increases.
The report provides property tax rates given to the state auditor’s office for local government entities, such as cities, counties and school and fire districts. In 2019, staff reviewed 4,839 property tax rates of 2,804 taxing authorities. This is the fifth year in a row that no taxing authorities levied a tax rate that exceeded the tax rate certified since the state auditor’s office began reviewing property tax rates in 1985.