PLATTE CITY, Mo — KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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A judge is moving forward with a lawsuit over a voter-approved property tax credit in Platte County, but homeowners still don’t know whether they’ll see the savings on their tax bills this year.
During a hearing on Wednesday, Judge Timothy J. Flook indicated he plans to issue a preliminary order requiring Platte County Collector Sheila Palmer to respond to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed by Jason Maki and James Bosch, seeks to force the county to apply the homestead property tax credit to eligible homeowners 2026 tax bills.
Platte County voters approved the measure in April. The measure gives eligible homeowners a property tax credit to limit future increases to 5% annually or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Lydia McEvoy, an attorney representing Palmer, argued that the collector’s office cannot implement the credit on its own because other county offices must first complete parts of the process.
“The collector just prints and mails out bills. The numbers that are on those bills come from other parties,” McEvoy said.
McEvoy said the law does not clearly identify which county offices are responsible for each step. She also argued that the collector does not currently have the information or authority needed to calculate and apply the credits.
“She actually doesn’t have the ability right this minute to grant this credit and apply it to tax bills and send it out,” McEvoy said, adding that the process begins before the information reaches the collector’s office.
The preliminary order would require Palmer to respond to the petition, but it would not be a final ruling requiring the credit to appear on 2026 tax bills.
The next hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Platte County Courthouse.
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