Wisdom Wednesday: Was 2025 a "Challenge" or a Choice?

We’ve read that the incumbent claims that 2025 was the "most challenging tax year in history." But for Platte County taxpayers, the real challenge wasn't the paperwork—it was the price tag.

Let’s look at the "Wisdom" behind the decisions made at the Courthouse last year:

• The Assessment Hike: After failing to keep our county in compliance with state standards, the Courthouse "negotiated" a deal that raised your residential assessments by nearly 7% across the board. They called it a "victory." Most of us homeowners called it a state mandated tax hike without opportunity for appeal.  Such a hike should have been contested and delayed to a future assessment period to allow property owners their right to appeal.  Thus likely making the State Tax Commission mandate an illegal order, actually called a “Memorandum of Understanding “.  Hard for taxpayers to understand such an order.

• The 30% Raise: While taxpayers were being told to pay those new assessments, and tighten their personal budget belts, the six of the twelve Salary Commission members (including the Clerk) voted for a 30% pay raise for their own positions. Two of the members did not cast a vote either being absent or abstaining.  Meanwhile, hardworking county staff only saw a 2.5% cost of living increase.

• The Growing Office: With a tripling of the Clerk’s staff since 2022, there should have been adequate personnel to properly advocate for Platte County property owners and contest the State Tax Commission.

From a Watchdog Perspective: In business, when you triple your staff and the results are "unprecedented complications," a business owner doesn’t usually get to reward themselves with a 30% raise. Usually it has cost the business significant funds and you find a better, more efficient way to work and decrease costs and/or improve net revenues.

Platte County deserves a County Clerk who sees your tax dollars as a trust, not a slush fund. It’s time for a Watchdog.

What do you think? The Platte County Citizen has an excellent article after the vote for the salary increase took place. Was a 30% raise a “conservative increase" given the assessment hikes homeowners faced? How have assessment hikes affected your family budget? Let me know in the comments!

To satisfy the curious and those who appreciate accuracy and truthfulness, I have linked the original report from the Platte County Citizen below.  It details exactly who voted for the 30% increase and reactions from the elected who opposed the salary increase.

Do you feel like the officeholders were “conservatively” managing your money?

Read the full article here:   http://www.plattecountycitizen.com/theplattecountycitizen/officeholders-approve-30-salary-increase12112025

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