Though the first technical session of the 2011 special legislative session only lasted three minutes, Representative Bill White (R-Joplin) has filed a bill to give business owners, who lost their business in a natural disaster, commercial property tax relief.
He says counties can opt into this program that would allow business owners to have their commercial properties reassessed, so their property taxes will be lower while they’re rebuilding. He says this will help small businesses rebuild faster. He says that 3 to 4 thousand dollars businesses could save can be crucial during rebuilding, because insurance doesn’t always pay 100 percent of the costs.
He called it a “true jobs bill” because he says it will keep small businesses and people in areas like Joplin. He says with small businesses, they often can’t afford to pay their employees while they’re rebuilding, unlike a larger corporation like Wal-Mart. White says it would only apply for 7 months of the year. He introduced the bill for special session, and the Governor asked the legislature to consider it this week. He says he hasn’t heard any opposition for the bill yet.
White says the Governor’s withholding for disasters can pay for this, but would also take it up in regular session if he needed to. He says “that’s what the Rainy Day Fund is for.”
(AUDIO) Allison Blood reports on the tax relief bill Mp3 1:02
Click here to see all the bills filed out of the House for special session.