Camden County Commissioners vote on ordinance to freeze property taxes for seniors

CAMDENTON, Mo. (KY3) - Before the Missouri General Assembly adjourned, lawmakers passed a law leaving it up to county commissioners to decide on property tax freezes. On Thursday morning, Camden County Commissioners voted to freeze property taxes for senior citizens.

Don Neuharth is retired and living in Camden County. He attended Thursday’s commission meeting, voicing his opinion about the property tax freeze.

”My thoughts on this are just pretty consistent with any I’ve had throughout my entire life. A preferential of taxes favoring one group over another, regardless of the basis, is categorically wrong,” said Neuharth.

He says he doesn’t believe it should be based on a characteristic.

”Whether that might be age or income, they’ll level or whatever. If we’re going to tax somebody based on a $1 amount, it shouldn’t be flat across the board. It shouldn’t be favoring one over another,” said Neuharth.

Chief Deputy Assessor Byron Willis says the law is geared towards helping seniors.

”Whatever their tax levy is, and their total assessed value, would be their taxes, would be frozen at that time,” said Willis.

The law will freeze property taxes for those 62 and older eligible for Social Security benefits, own a home, or pay property taxes on a home.

It went into effect on August 28, so that’s the “freeze” date.

Presiding Commissioner Ike Skelton says he is happy about this.

”They’ve been paying taxes in every way for an awful lot of years. Maybe it’s time to get a little break. I’m very happy with it. I’m very honored that we were the first, I believe, in the state to have been able to come up with this,” said Skelton

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