The property tax rate dedicated to the county's general fund will be lower for the coming year, dropping from .2654 per $100 of assessed value in 2020 to .2258.
According to commissioner Alan …
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The property tax rate dedicated to the county's general fund will be lower for the coming year, dropping from .2654 per $100 of assessed value in 2020 to .2258.
According to commissioner Alan Winders, the slight decrease is largely due to a rise in revenue from sales taxes during the pandemic. A portion of the collected sales tax is used to roll back property taxes.
But Winders explains that despite some year to year fluctuation, property taxes remain relatively level. Adjustments made for growth, inflation or sales tax merely nudge the figure one way or another.
In 2019, the county's share of the property tax was .2149.
"Effectively there's just not much change," he said.
Tax rates are determined by a formula at the state level that keeps local government collections to a large extent revenue neutral.
Both real estate and personal property taxes are assessed annually. They are due Dec. 31. Personal property is defined as property owned on Jan. 1 of a given year.
The largest portion of property tax goes toward supporting area schools. Audrain County helps to fund nine different districts, including Centralia, North Callaway and Sturgeon.
Other entities also depend on funds from property tax collection. The county has five fire districts, two ambulance districts, a nursing home and the library system.
A common road district tax dropped from .3535 to .3500 per $100 in assessed value.
County clerk Lisa Smith also files data from eight cities with the state.
