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Texas County voters on Tuesday approved a measure to freeze property taxes on primary residences, while rejecting a proposed sales tax for transportation upgrades.
The property tax measure is in response to Senate Bill 3 (SB3), which was signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe in June. After passing with 85.9% approval, eligible taxpayers who apply and qualify will receive a credit that effectively freezes their homestead taxes at the year they became eligible.
PROPERTY TAX FREEZE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
According to the law, an eligible taxpayer is a person who owns or has a legal or equitable interest in a homestead and is responsible for paying its property taxes.
In Texas County, the real property tax liability on an eligible taxpayer’s homestead cannot be increased above the liability incurred during the initial credit year.
For area school districts, a declining tax base could reduce funding for daily operations, limit their ability to match state aid and strain efforts to recruit staff or maintain facilities without additional voter-approved levies.
Critics say the law provides unequal relief and it is currently being challenged in Cole County Circuit Court.
ROAD AND BRIDGE SALES TAX VOTED DOWN
Voters rejected a proposal to replace the expiring countywide half-percent capital improvement sales tax with a similar half-percent tax on retail sales, including utilities, to fund county transportation improvements. The measure failed with only 30.9% approval.
The expiring tax was approved by voters in 2005. It helped finance the construction of the Texas County Justice Center and will expire in March 2026.
VOTER TURNOUT
This November, 2,723 of 17,083 registered voters — 15.9% — cast ballots, exceeding County Clerk Peggy Seyler’s 7% prediction but well below the 67% turnout in the November 2024 presidential election.
Polls were open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The final results were tabulated at 9:06 p.m.