KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Ryan intends to cover the results of Tuesday's election. If you have a perspective you'd like to share, reach out to him. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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The clock is winding down until Election Day in Cass County on Tuesday, April 7.
Voters across the county will cast their ballots on a number of issues, from city council races to school bond measures.
RELATED | Cass County to vote on property tax freeze; could impact schools, cities and public services
But a property tax freeze ballot question could have the broadest impact on the county, according to Chris Molendorp, the Cass County Collector of Revenue.
"We have about 57,000 real estate parcels, obviously those aren’t all single-family homesteads," he said. "Somewhere in the neighborhood of 29,000 [would be eligible]."
I sat down with Molendorp ahead of Tuesday's election to better understand what implementing a freeze would look like.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared concerns from school district leaders about the impacts of a property tax freeze on local school districts.
In a mid-March email, Molendorp told me he was confident the measure would pass, and he plans to implement the freeze.
"For me, it's a two-for; the Commission wants this done. I'm not going to fight my commission. You bet we're going to implement it," Molendorp explained. "But if we're gonna implement it, can I get into the 1990s?"
He gave me a run-through of what it looks like to keep track of property tax bills.
To be honest, its screen presentation resembles the classic Atari computer game Pong. Its capabilities are strong, but Molendrop says that it operates a bit too manually, and new software would enhance operations for him and his staff.
"We got software that can identify by and large who those homesteaders are and single-family homes, we aren’t going to ask taxpayers to fill out paperwork and stand in line," Molendorp said.
Customers flowed pretty steadily in the dinnertime rush at Branding Iron BBQ in Harrisonville. Diners filled their bellies with hearty plates with all the fixings.
But dinner table talk for Travis Clark revolved around how much he and some of his neighbors paid for fuel on Wednesday.
"She knows someone who paid $150 on fuel," He said. "I paid $110 today."
I asked him about how he would feel about a property tax freeze and how it would impact his wallet.
"I think it’d be a great idea. People wouldn't get taken advantage of with higher taxes," Clark said. "Keep it level for a while, everything else is going up. If they can freeze where they can, it can save people some money."
In March, I sat down with Raymore-Peculiar School District Superintendent Mike Slagle.
"Senate Bill 3 is a curveball that we are going to be navigating," said Superintendent Mike Slagle of the Raymore-Peculiar R-II School District. "We have worked with our board of education on some contingency plans for the future as to whether that would pass."
Senate Bill 3, which was passed in a special legislative session last year, is what is putting this to a vote in 97 Missouri counties.
An eligible taxpayer must be the owner of record or have a legal, equitable interest in a homestead. They should also be liable for paying real property taxes on that homestead.
It would freeze a homeowner's property tax liability at the level it was when the homeowner first qualified for the program — the taxpayer would receive a credit for any increase above the original property tax.
Homeowners applying for the credit would have their tax bill frozen at this year's property tax rate, minus the property tax bill from the year they first became eligible for the program credit.
There are two types of counties under the legislation — a 5% county and a 0% county. For 5% counties, the baseline can increase by up to 5% per year, or whatever the increase is in the Consumer Price Index. The rate is the higher of the two. For the 0% counties, the baseline is frozen, and no increase would be allowed.
Molendorp explained that if the measure passes, property tax rates for the upcoming year will be frozen at the 2024 rate.
Nearly $192 million was collected in 2024, according to public records. About $160 million was collected and disbursed between schools, cities, and fire districts.
Education took home the most, at nearly $126 million, for 2025.
I posted a Facebook video asking for people to reach out to me with questions, comments, and concerns about property taxes.
A commenter put me in touch with State Senator Rick Brattin (R-Harrisonville). We talked on the phone briefly and were able to get a clearer picture of his perspective on the freeze.
"It's a huge win for taxpayers who have been soaked with increases, levy increases," Brattin told me. "This will help put a stop to those increases, and people will get a chance to vote on the increases."
Brattin called it putting equilibrium back in the system.
For school districts I spoke with while covering this topic, they explained that upwards of 65% of their yearly budget is funded by property taxes.
Brattin explained he doesn't see it that way.
"I keep hearing that the sky is going to shatter," he explained. "It's erroneous... Counties and taxing jurisdictions won't lose a dime."
Molendorp went on to add in our interview that there will need to be a few taxing cycles before they can see the full impact of the property tax freeze.
But he believes that school districts will be forced to make some tough decisions.
"They’re gonna have to make some hard decisions going forward," he said. "I think Cass County’s 14 school districts are going to be the folks most in the cross hairs and be innovative to stretch their budget farther."
For voters seeking financial relief right now, it's dawned on them what the property tax freeze might mean for their services.
"We live out in the country, so if you don't pay the fire tax, you don't get services," Clark added, who is an Archie, Missouri resident. "Some of the kids, man, all they have to do is get out of this town is sports, or music, arts, whatever, if they don’t have it, then what?"
The Archie R-V School District, which sits at the southern end of Cass County, shared its concerns in an email to KSHB 41 in March.
"To date, we have never received full funding from the formula (State funding over the last four years), and if SB 3 is passed, this will put a cap on personal property taxes," Superintendent Dr. Michelle Wityk said. "Archie is over 50% funded by local taxes, and the passing of this bill will make it even more difficult to operate and provide what is needed by our students, staff, and community. We often have to rely on levies and bonds to complete larger capital projects."
While voters have the say on Tuesday, Senate Bill 3 is being challenged in a Cole County, Missouri, court.
It was filed back in September by many taxing districts, including school districts, fire districts and local governments.
In January, a Cole County, Missouri, judge denied a motion that attempted to block property tax cap questions from appearing on April ballots while the lawsuit is still being decided.
97 of Missouri's 114 counties are required to put it on the ballot.
17 counties are excluded — including the largest metropolitan areas, such as Jackson, St. Louis and Greene counties.
The exclusions are unconstitutional and unfair, the lawsuit claims.
The judge's ruling back in January did not address the constitutionality of the legislation. Still, it allowed the case to move forward to a full trial, allowing the April elections to proceed.
The trial is expected to begin later this year.
"I am required to follow the law, so we will implement the law until an appeals judge or the Missouri Supreme Court tells me not to," Molendorp answered when asked about how his office will handle the outcome of the lawsuits.
Ultimately, he says this property tax freeze will give working families certainty and some more money in their wallets when paying for the essentials to live.
"Homeowners insurance is going up, things at the grocery store seem more expensive every trip, if they can at least get some certainty with real estate taxes, that will go a long way with the budget," he added.
Election Day is Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and runs from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you have any questions regarding the election, contact the Cass County Election Authority Office at 816-380-8102.
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