Platte County officials refuse to comply with new STC order to raise property taxes

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The Missouri State Tax Commission (STC) ordered the Platte County Clerk and the Board of Equalization to impose a 15% increase in residential property valuation on Wednesday.

A news release sent to News-Press NOW states:

"The Platte County Commission, the County Clerk, and the Board of Equalization are unified in their opposition to this heavy-handed and unjust action by STC, an unelected three-person board appointed by the Governor."

The release also mentions that the order is a direct result of both Platte County Assessor, David Cox's failure to complete the county's mandatory biannual residential reassessment, as well as, the county's five school districts which are demanding property tax increases and cannot operate without "massive annual revenue increases".

If implemented- the order would bypass the traditional data-driven assessment process used by Missouri assessors for decades and would replace it with "an arbitrary and onerous assessment increase dictated by unelected Jefferson City bureaucrats."

Additionally, the news release notes that taxpayers will not have an opportunity to appeal the new valuations.

The Platte County Commission, County Clerk and the Board of Equalization said they would pursue all legal and administrative remedies to overturn the STC's decision.