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Huge Property Tax Hike Coming – Vote No!
If the Excelsior Springs School Board gets its way, your property taxes are going up again, big time. As reported in the Excelsior Citizen, on December 10, 2024*, the Excelsior Springs School Board “discussed a proposal to increase the district’s operating tax levy ceiling by $0.70, bringing it to $5.3089 per $100 of assessed valuation” and “the resolution to place the question on the ballot was unanimously approved by board members in attendance.”
As usually is the case, huge tax increases are cloaked in benign sounding language. $0.70 doesn’t sound like much until one does the math.
The current total property tax rate for Clay County residents in Excelsior Springs is $7.0294 per $100 of assessed valuation. Therefore, a $0.70 increase is actually a 9.96% increase in the current property tax rate (0.7 / 7.0294 = 9.96%).
From looking on Realtor.com, the annual tax on a $250,000 property in Excelsior Springs is approximately $2,300. This means that such a property owner will be paying about $230 per year more in taxes if this tax increase passes.
The property taxes on a $250,000 property have already gone up from $1,878 in 2019 to $2,302 in 2023, which is a 22.6% increase. If this new tax hike is passed, the tax on this property would be $2,531, which is a 34.8% increase from 2019. Incomes of our residents have not increased similarly since 2019. Seniors and low-income families are hit hardest by these egregious tax increases.
Note: Seniors who are looking forward to locking in their property taxes at the current level need to know that they will not be exempt from this tax hike. Their taxes will go up along with everyone else’s.
In 2023, when the school board made their second attempt at funding the building of the new Lewis Elementary School after the residents rejected their previously proposed tax hike, they promoted it as a “no tax increase” proposal.
And now, before the paint is even dry on the new school, the school board is asking for a huge tax increase for “general operating expenses of the District, including increasing compensation for employees to attract and retain quality faculty and staff.” So much for the “no tax increase” promise. It should have rightly been called a “postponed tax increase” proposal.
If the school district had not spent 30+ million dollars on the new Lewis Elementary School, they would have funding for general operating expenses and employees’ salaries. (They might have needed to move money from one fund to another to accomplish it, but they have already shown us that they can do that.) Just like all of us, the school district needs to learn to live within their means and cut spending in order to fund what is necessary.
Vote “no” on this huge tax hike, and vote out this school board!
Chad Wagner
Excelsior Springs, Mo.
Editor’s Note: In Missouri, the use of capital improvement funds for purposes other than their intended designation is governed by state laws and regulations, particularly those outlined in Missouri Revised Statutes and local school district policies. Generally, capital improvement funds are restricted to specific uses, such as the construction, maintenance, or renovation of school facilities. These restrictions ensure that voter-approved or specially allocated funds are used for their intended purpose. Below is a list of relevant legislation:
Missouri Constitution (Article VI, Section 26):
Governs the issuance and use of bonds by school districts, which are typically used for capital improvements. Funds from these bonds cannot be redirected to operational expenses, such as teacher salaries.
Missouri Revised Statutes § 165.011 (“Special Funds”):
Specifies that school districts must keep separate funds for different purposes, including:
Incidental Fund: Used for operational expenses, such as teacher salaries.
Capital Projects Fund: Used exclusively for capital expenditures, like building construction, renovations, and major equipment purchases.
Transferring money between these funds is heavily regulated and usually prohibited except under specific conditions outlined by law.
Restrictions on Bond and Levy Proceeds:
If a school district raises funds through a bond issue or a tax levy for capital improvements, the ballot language often explicitly states the allowable uses. Diverting these funds to pay teacher salaries would violate both state laws and the terms under which voters approved the funding.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Guidance:
DESE enforces the separation of funds and audits districts to ensure compliance with state laws. Misuse of funds can result in penalties, audits, and legal action.
Missouri Revised Statutes § 67.010 (Budgeting Process):
Requires districts to adopt budgets that comply with statutory guidelines. The budget must allocate funds according to their legal purpose and cannot repurpose funds from the capital improvement category for operational expenses without violating the law.
*Additional Note: The article covering the School Board meeting was published on December 15, 2024, but the meeting was held and livestreamed by the Excelsior Citizen on December 10th, 2024. Read the article and see the ballot language here.
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I am in favor of true education, and I think teachers should be paid fairly. However, shouldn’t we also think about families in our community who are already struggling to make ends meet, and who will be hurt by another tax increase if the levy passes? If teacher salary is a priority for the school district, then they need to cut spending somewhere else to fund it.
The Lord said, “Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” (Pro 31:9)