State Threatens to Withhold Money From Reynolds County

Reynolds County Assessor Rick Parker and the State Tax Commission are at an enpass. The state is demanding that he raise assessments. Parker is refusing.
The State Tax Commission is now threatening to withhold money from Reynolds County. On May 19, Parker received a letter giving a deadline of June 15 that assessments be raised to fair market value. Parker has been holding the line that assessments do not to be raised.
The State Tax Commission’s letter to the county is as follows:
“The State Tax Commission is charged with supervising Assessors and Boards of Equalization to enforce the property assessment laws in this state. It is the responsibility of the Commission to determine whether the assessing officers are upholding their duties as required by law. The Commission has the powers commensurate with its responsibility and may issue orders designed to enforce the law and ensure uniformity.
The State Tax Commission evaluates the accuracy and uniformity of a county’s assessments through the use of ratio studies. A county that is out of compliance with the Commission’s ratio standards risks the loss of state reimbursement for costs of assessments. The Missouri Supreme Court has stated that the intent behind reimbursement was to provide the funding necessary to implement an assessment program that conforms with constitutional and statutory mandates.
The 2021 Reynolds Residential Sales Study found your residential values to be below market value. Our office has reached out to you multiple times by phone and email to discuss this matter. The State Tax Commission has made several attempts to work with you in regards to a Residential Memorandum of Understanding for the 2023 Reynolds County Assessment Roll. It is our understanding that you are refusing to increase the value on residential assessments for 2023. If an agreement is not reached concerning the Residential Memorandum of Understanding, this may jeopardize your cost-share monies. The State Tax Commission is willing to work with you to ensure compliance with the laws and the Constitution of Missouri. If an agreement cannot be reached by June 15, 2023, the Commission may withhold the Reynolds County quarterly reimbursement monies until progress is made towards fair market value for the residential subclass.”