HILLSBORO — A bill that would give seniors a break on their property taxes failed in Jefferson County on Thursday.
The Jefferson County Council . Councilmen who voted against it cited the unclear language in Missouri state law that grants local authorities the power to offer the tax break.
“If the state wants us to do something, they need to be a little more clear on what they want us to do,†said Councilman Scott Seek. “I’ve read that bill back and forth, left and right. I’ve run it through ChatGPT ... I don’t think we, Jefferson County, should be the trailblazers.â€
Jefferson County, about 40 miles south of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, isn’t the only local government that has struggled with the state’s language.
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St. Charles County officials had asked the state to clarify the law. But the council there eventually approved a property tax freeze.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ and ºüÀêÊÓƵ County also approved tax breaks for seniors.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ County’s includes a $550,000 cap on the value of eligible homes, and freezes all taxes, including those for school districts, fire districts, and other taxing bodies.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ caps home values at $500,000, but only freezes the amount owed on the city’s portion of the property taxes — roughly 20% of the total levy.