County assessors push back against property valuation tax

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. — Fourteen out of 88 county assessors in the state are refusing to sign a memorandum of understanding that would raise property valuation taxes, challenging the Missouri Tax Commission's approach.

These assessors, including Doug Bowerman of Lawrence County, argue that the proposed property tax increase does not reflect the current real estate market conditions.

"I don't think the market's going to sustain this," said Doug Bowerman, Lawrence County Assessor, explaining his refusal to sign the memorandum.

Bowerman expressed concerns that the property valuation tax increase fails to account for local market realities, where prices are influenced by global buyers rather than just local demand.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the real estate landscape, with people moving from higher-priced jurisdictions to areas like southwest Missouri, thus affecting local property values.

Rita Lemmon, the assessor for Polk County, also voiced her opposition to the tax increase, aligning with Bowerman's stance.

As the disagreement continues, the state tax commission's decision to withhold funding from non-compliant counties highlights the tension between state directives and local market assessments.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by OzarksFirst.com. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by OzarksFirst.com staff before being published.