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On Wednesday, Platte County commissioners voted to place a tax question on the April ballot that could provide relief to homeowners facing rising property taxes.
The move puts the decision to cap property tax increases in the hands of voters. However, one resident says the move comes too late for her family.
"You go from owning to renting because of these taxes," said Victoria Valdez, a Platte County resident. "It's not the American dream we're supposed to be having."
However, it's the reality Valdez and her husband now face. They own La Cabana Mexican restaurant.
In 2021, they purchased the building.
"We're buying the building. We live upstairs, and then the business is downstairs," Valdez said. "And then, when the property taxes went up, they went from $1,200 to like $5,400."
The dramatic increase forced them to sell last year.
"The percentage was like a 60/40," she said. "So yeah, it would've been personal property for upstairs."
This happened before a new law passed last summer that requires most counties in Missouri to ask voters if they want to implement a property tax relief program.
That question will now be on the April ballot after a unanimous vote to implement a program that would cap tax increases at 5% per year or the rate of inflation.
Joe Vanover, Platte County commissioner, explained there are exceptions to the cap.
"If you build on to your own home, of course, your tax bill might go up," Vanover said. "If you do major improvements to your home, your tax bill might go up. If the local school district, for instance, passes a new levy, a new tax levy, then your taxes might go up. Or if the local voters approve an increase in an existing levy, it might go up."
While it doesn't eliminate tax increases, it does provide more certainty for homeowners, something Valdez and her husband hope to be again if this passes.
"I would hope so," Valdez said. "Everyone wants to own their own home."
The commissioner said if the vote passes, it will be implemented immediately.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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