The Saline County Board of Equalization is scheduled to hear appeals next week from 11 taxpayers questioning the new assessed valuations on their properties.

Saline County Clerk Brittni Burton tells KMMO News that hearings are scheduled beginning Monday morning for the appeals to go before the board, which consists of the three county commissioners and two appointees who have professional experience with real estate. The county assessor and county clerk also sit on the board as nonvoting members. The board will hear arguments from property owners about what they believe their property’s value should be, while the assessor will present their findings to justify the valuation set by their office.

The hearings are the next step in the process of setting tax rates for the next year, following the mailing of tax impact statements in June to property owners. Those impact statements reflected increases spurred by the State Tax Commission directing in a memorandum to County Assessor Jessica Adcock Goodman to bring residential and commercial property values in line with recent market values. Similar memos were also sent to 73 other counties across Missouri.

The Board of Equalization will convene in the Saline County Courthouse.  The deadline to request a hearing was Wednesday, July 9.  Burton notes that at least four of the appeals are being sought on commercial properties.