A bill passed by the Missouri General Assembly would leave property taxes frozen in Texas County and 21 counties. The freeze or limitations would need to be voted on by the county’s residents.
Property taxes could still be increased through a voter-approved levy or if the value of property increases due to renovations or new construction.
In 75 counties, hikes would be limited to only a 5 percent maximum increase every two years.
The legislation was part of a bill passed in a special session that would provide incentives to the owners of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas Royals to remain in the state. To quell any possible Freedom Caucus uprising, Gov. Mike Kehoe allowed the inclusion of a provision in the stadium funding bill requiring most counties to put a hard cap on increases in property tax bills.
Rep. Darin Chappell, R-Rogersville, was among the “no” votes on the stadium measure, saying the property tax relief provisions were flawed because some counties were treated differently under the bill.
St. Louis city and St. Louis County, for example, are not included in the property tax portion of the package, while St. Charles County is included.
“I believe this bill fails the test of constitutionality,” Chappell said.