Fiscal Friday Post: Tax Relief Wins and Election Realities

1. Big Win for Seniors: Senior Tax Credit Update

There is great news on the property tax front for Platte County seniors. Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker just dropped an update confirming that thanks to action from the Commission (alongside Commissioners Allyson Berberich and Joe Vanover, pressure from Mike Jones for State Senate, and County Administrator Wes Minder getting the MOU signed), the rules have been changed to deliver real relief.

The County successfully pressured the school districts to return the money. In addition to a $1 million pool, Kansas City has sent a check for $67,000, with Platte R-3 and North Platte soon following. As Fricker put it: when everyone rows in the same direction, seniors get some much-needed property tax relief. This is a massive step forward for affordability in the county.

2. Update on the Homestead Act Lawsuit

Speaking of tax relief, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Judge Flock held a hearing on the lawsuit brought by Jason Maki and Jim Bosch against Platte County Collector Sheila Palmer to force her to implement the Homestead property tax relief ordinance on 2026 tax bills. Judge Flock stated he will issue his decision at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

We pray he enforces the ordinance passed by the Platte County Commission and overwhelmingly approved by voters in April, forcing the Collector to obey the law, deliver immediate tax relief to thousands of property owners this year, and bring real "affordability" to Platte County during this mid-term election. Stay tuned—we will have a full report on Wednesday following the judge's decision.

3. Election Integrity and Early Voting Realities

We are now less than two weeks from Election Day, and early no-excuse voting opened in Missouri this past Tuesday, October 20th. I expect we'll see upwards of 25% of the electorate cast ballots early.  Kansas is reporting record early voting turnouts!

My stance hasn't changed: voting should be restricted to a tight 1- to 3-day window where citizens physically go to a polling place and cast their ballot. If you have a legitimate, qualifying excuse requiring an absentee ballot, it needs to be done strictly in-person at the Board of Elections and dropped directly into a secure ballot box. No mail-in ballots. No ballot harvesting by “volunteers”.

Given the state of the USPS, your vote is far too precious to get lost, show up late, or be subjected to system vulnerabilities. Furthermore, all vote counting must be entirely public, live streamed, and open for citizens to observe. Let's gather at a local arena or stadium and watch the judges count every single vote. What is there to hide?

The Bottom Line: Now is the time we, as loyal citizens—not loyal subjects—must demand straight answers and fiscal sanity. If this Republic is to survive, complacency is not an option.

Have a great weekend, keep an eye on your tax dollars, and we'll see you at the ballot box!