St. Charles County Assessor Scott Shipman reports the near completion of the 2005 reassessment of real estate. State law requires the Assessor to revalue all real property in the County every odd-numbered year for property tax purposes. The state constitution requires the values on property reflect fair market value. The statutes require the assessor to place accurate values on the tax rolls as of January 1 of each reassessment cycle. Real estate values in St. Charles County continue to increase as demand for affordable housing and low interest rates remain attractive.
The assessment authority (Assessor’s Office) is responsible for establishing the fair market value of all property within St. Charles County as of the tax date. This assures fair distribution of the tax burden among those responsible for payment. The taxing authority (school, city, fire districts, etc.) establishes the tax rate based on the budgetary requirements needed to appropriately fund the services provided within their jurisdiction. When property values increase, all taxing entities are responsible for rolling back their levies to offset the valuation increase.
Assessment notices have been redesigned to be easier to read, and include information on property tax relief, frequently asked questions, and information on the appeal process.
The St. Charles County Assessor’s Office will mail the 2005 “NOTICES OF REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT” for the Washington, Wentzville, and St. Charles School Districts on or about March 21, 2005. The Fort Zumwalt and Orchard Farm School District notices are scheduled to be mailed on or about March 28, 2005 and the Francis Howell School District notices are scheduled to be mailed on or about April 4, 2005.
Taxpayers have ten days from the mailed date on the notice to schedule an informal hearing with a staff member from the Assessors office. This can be done by calling 636-949-7431 or 1-800-822-4012 ex. 7431 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Scheduled informal hearings will be conducted Monday through Thursday during the day, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and select Saturdays at 201 North Second Street in St. Charles.
