Platte County may ask voters to cap annual property tax increases
Commissioners in Platte County are looking to address “painful” tax rates by implementing a new property tax relief program that would place a cap on tax increases for homeowners living in the county.
Next week, the Platte County Commission will discuss placing a ballot measure before voters in April to approve the Homestead Property Tax Credit Program, which would limit property tax bills from increasing by more than 5% annually, according to Scott Fricker, the presiding commissioner.
“This is a good step in the right direction,” he said.
The Homestead Property Tax Credit is a new program Missouri lawmakers created and passed last year as part of the state law offering incentives to build professional sports stadiums. The tax credit program allows qualifying counties to vote on capping annual property tax increases. It’s drawn criticism from some school districts and other taxing districts across the state that have filed a lawsuit to challenge its implementation.
Platte County aiming to put the program before voters is part of the county’s greater goal to ease the burden of rising property taxes for homeowners, according to Fricker. Last year, the county implemented Missouri’s statewide Senior Tax Credit Program, which allows Platte County residents who are at least 62 years old to freeze their property taxes.
Tax reform in Platte County is something Fricker has been pushing for throughout his tenure as property values continue to rise, at times clashing with the Missouri State Tax Commission over the matter.
Last summer, Platte County officials spent weeks in negotiations with the State Tax Commission after the state ordered the county to increase residential property valuations across the board by 15%. At the time, state officials said the county had been allegedly low-balling assessments for years, which was the reason for the overall increase. Negotiations eventually brought it down to around 7% instead of 15%.
Missouri law requires counties to assess the value of a property as close to its market value as possible, so that it can be taxed based on a value similar to what it could be sold for. Since the housing market is always in flux, the law has a bit of wiggle room and specifies that assessed values should fall within the range of 90-110% of market value.
Since Platte was among a number of Missouri counties that had been undervaluing its properties, bringing those up to market value as those market values are also rising has resulted in tax increases for some homeowners in recent years.
“It’s really, really painful for people, especially those on fixed incomes, and even those not on fixed incomes,” Fricker said. “I mean, a lot of people have parents who are working two jobs. They’re just making ends meet. They don’t have savings. And then all of a sudden you get a tax bill that went from $4,000 one year to $5,000. Well, those people don’t have an extra $1,000. So there really is a need for this kind of reform.”
Commissioners are set to discuss the measure at the county board’s next meeting Jan. 21. The public is encouraged to attend to learn more about the proposal and share their perspectives on the idea.
Once the order has been approved at the county level, Fricker said they will begin work to ensure the community is educated on the proposal and will launch efforts to encourage residents to go to the polls this spring.
If approved by the voters in April, the new tax credit program would take effect sometime this year, Fricker said.
“We need property tax reform,” he said. “I think this will be good for Platte County.”
This story was originally published January 18, 2026 at 6:28 AM.
