Effect of reassessment yet to be seen; levy rates will establish actual tax bills

Monday, July 20, 2009
By SYDNEY STONNER/Staff writer

The recent reassessments conducted by the Saline County Assessor's Office, which have resulted in many increases in assessed property values, have also sparked a heightened interest in the way taxes are set and levied in Saline County.

Both Saline County Assessor Margaret Pond and state Rep. Joe Aull, D-Marshall, have tried to reassure county residents that taxes do not necessarily directly increase with assessed values.

"Reassessment is designed to be a revenue-neutral process," Aull said at a meeting of concerned area business owners and public officials held Monday, July 13, at Mid-State Seed.

By state law, when assessments on property increase, political subdivisions, such as schools and cities, should decrease their levy amounts because the law does not allow the public bodies to make a profit from reassessments.

These taxing entities must set new rates for the 2009 tax year by Sept. 1. Prior to doing so, all entities are required to hold public hearings concerning the change in rates.

To better prepare the concerned citizens who choose to attend those meetings,

The Marshall Democrat-News has gathered some information about last year's tax rates from Saline County Collector Grace Miles.

All Saline County residents pay a percentage to the state and the county, $0.03 and $0.20 per every $100 assessed, respectively. There are also levies that fund road districts, cities, schools and fire and ambulance districts, among other things, and these vary depending on where a person lives.

For those who live within the city limits of Marshall, the sum of the levies from various taxing entities is $5.4902.

This means that for every $100 of assessed property value, a person pays $5.4902 in taxes. So, if a person's house is determined to be worth $100,000 in market value, its assessed value is 19 percent of that figure, or $19,000. By taking the levy sum of $5.4902 and multiplying it by the number of $100s in the assessed value, or 190, the amount of taxes due is determined to be $1,043.138.

The total taxes levied other towns in the county are as follows: Arrow Rock, $6.2695; Blackburn, $6.6303; Emma, $5.8066; Gilliam, $7.0880; Grand Pass, $5.5912; Malta Bend, $6.8864; Miami, $6.6004; Mt. Leonard, $7.1203; Nelson, $5.7683; Slater, $6.9165; and Sweet Springs, $5.3981.

It should be noted that the above rates apply only to people living within city limits. Those who live in rural areas of the county have many different tax rates, depending on location.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net

Related Stories:

Business leaders hold meeting Monday to discuss reassessment
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/155448...

Bad timing: State forces assessed property values up as economy remains slow
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/155381...

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That airport seems like a moneypit as well....Cropdusters don't need that much!!!!

-- Posted by Takealoadoff on Tue, Jul 21, 2009, at 8:20 AM

What would be nice is to see our tax dollars actually being used for improvements. Like repaving more streets that need it!!!(Linclon, College from Odell to Miami, Miami from College to Vest) stuff like that. And why the heck would you make people pay for new sewer system if the city says it needs to be done....

-- Posted by missouriwoman3 on Mon, Jul 20, 2009, at 10:27 PM

My taxes increased by quite a bit. If this stupid timing of a school bond issue is passed I hate to think what I will have to pay.

-- Posted by Cat Lover on Mon, Jul 20, 2009, at 3:37 PM