Newly passed bill would expand eligibility for senior property tax freeze in Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - While several counties and municipalities across Missouri already accept applications for senior property tax freezes, a recently passed bill may change eligibility requirements, even after some applications are due.

In 2023, Senate Bill 190 allowed counties and municipalities to implement a property tax freeze for Social Security-eligible recipients. It would freeze their property taxes at the current rate, preventing them from rising if the value of their house changes or if tax entities, like a school district or fire district, raise the property tax rate.

To be eligible for the property tax freeze, you must:

• Qualify for Social Security
• Live in a county or municipality that has enacted the freeze
• Live in the house you’re applying for as your primary residence

However, since the tax freeze was limited to those eligible for Social Security, it left out many seniors on fixed incomes. Police officers, teachers, and railroad workers are all careers that retire to pensions instead of Social Security.

Mike Gilmore and his wife are now retired after years of working for the railroad. However, because railroad workers receive a pension instead of Social Security, he’s not eligible for the senior property tax freeze.

“This feels like discrimination against myself and against teachers because we’re on a fixed income like everybody else, and we need that relief,” Gilmore said.

A new bill passed by the Missouri legislature on the last day of the session would expand eligibility to include those on pensions.

Under the new bill, you can be eligible for the tax freeze if:

• You’re 62 or older
• Live in a county or municipality that has enacted the freeze
• Live in the house you’re applying for as your primary residence

The bill has yet to be signed into law. When asked, the governor’s office said Gov. Mike Parson has yet to take any action on the bill. Bill sponsor Sen. Tony Luektemeyer, a Republican from Parkville, is confident the governor will sign the bill.

“Whenever I would go and talk to voters, an issue that would come up constantly in my district were seniors who had seen dramatic increases to the property taxes on their homes,” Luektemeyer said. “And many of those seniors on fixed incomes were at risk of being evicted from their homes by local government because of these skyrocketing taxes.”

However, several counties have already begun accepting applications for senior property tax freezes under the old eligibility requirements. Christian County and St. Louis City applications are due at the end of this month. Jackson County applications are due at the end of the year.

The St. Louis City Deputy Assessor Shawn Ordway said the city is prepared to extend the application deadline for newly eligible people if the governor signs the bill.

Greene County applications are due at the end of September, and Greene County Collector Allen Icet said that is the latest he can accept applications to get taxes finalized for this year.

“So we’re trying to do some pre-planning to be prepared for when that occurs. We’re not scrambling to say, ‘What do we do now?’”Icet said. “So, we fully expect him to sign it, and we fully expect to be ready when he does for the change.”

Icet worked with lawmakers to draft the new bill, helping to clarify some issues counties and residents encountered when trying to implement Senate Bill 190.

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