From Mike Gibbons' website http://www.michaelgibbons.com:
Protecting taxpayers from back door tax increases under the veil of reassessment was my top legislative priority this year. All senators and nearly all representatives joined me to pass a property tax reform package (Senate Bill 711) that protects taxpayers by mandating rollbacks, closing tax increase loopholes, requiring early and more information, and expanding tax relief for low-income seniors and the disabled.
Mandating Tax Rate Rollbacks
For too long, home and business owners have been hit by higher taxes caused by reassessment. The bill mandates that all taxing jurisdictions, regardless of whether they are operating at or below their tax rate ceiling, must roll back their tax rate to counter reassessment increases. Currently, only taxing jurisdictions operating at their tax rate ceiling are required by Missouri's Constitution to roll back to protect taxpayers, leaving taxing jurisdictions operating below their ceiling to approve back door tax increases with no legal recourse. By refusing to roll back, in 2007 in St. Louis County alone, taxing jurisdictions raised residents' property taxes by more than $46.6 million.
Closing Tax Increase Loopholes
We also ended the practice of applying voter approved increases to new reassessments, stopping double whammies on taxpayers. The bill closes a loophole that allows taxing districts to apply new voter approved levies to future and unknown assessments. The Attorney General's office issued an opinion in 2003(107-2003) stating that taxing jurisdictions can take a tax increase approved by the voters, for example in 2006, and then apply that new tax rate to the higher reassessed value in 2007.
Early Notice of Projected Taxes
I believe it’s wrong that taxpayers only learn of their tax bill about one month before it's due. Taxpayers have a right to know what their tax bill will be as early as possible so they can better plan for reassessment challenges and budget for the taxes they owe. SB711 requires that taxpayers receive a projected tax liability along with their reassessment notices by June 15.
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