HIGH RIDGE: Sales tax rollback lowers property tax rate
Fire Chief Mike Arnhart said property taxes in his fire protection district are being lowered due, in large part, to the passage of a sales tax measure by voters in 2006.
"Two years ago, the fire district went to a vote of the people for a half-cent sales tax for the purchase of items other than groceries or gasoline," he said. "What that half-cent did for us, after a year of collecting it, it meant we would roll back our property tax based upon half of what was collected from sales tax."At its Aug. 18 meeting, the High Ridge Fire Protection District Board of Directors approved a new property tax rate for the district. It is $.8571 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
"On Aug. 18, the board set that rollback," Arnhart said. "The rollback was .1344 per $100 assessed valuation, almost 13.5 cents. So, when people start receiving their property tax bills, that rollback will be included in it."
A second factor is also reducing the property tax rate, Arnhart explained.
"In addition to the rollback, the district had property growth," he said. "We will roll back property tax assessment for debt service by approximately four cents.
"Between the sales tax and the debt service rollback, it amounts to a reduction of about 17 cents per $100 assessed valuation."
Jim Daniels, a member of the district board of directors, said that the tax rate reductions could be significant to property owners.
"It's a very good thing, I think," Daniels said. "It should almost lower the taxes-if they have a $100,000 home-by $124."
