Legislature Addresses Property Tax Hikes

Nearly 20 bills are being floated at the State Capitol to address skyrocketing property tax increases that have caused an uproar in St. Louis County and threaten to affect other parts of the state. Representative Charles Portwood of Ballwin proposes capping property tax increases and having the state pay local governments and schools for themoney they would lose. He says he considered expanding the Circuit Breaker tax relief program for senior citizens that others have proposed. Other bills would ban so-called drive-by assessments that have become so controversial in St. Louis County and pushed back reassessment from every two to every four years.