Cole County assessor reports $11 million assessment error, commissioners approve corrections and two church exemption requests

The Cole County assessor’s office told commissioners on Dec. 23 that staff had identified multiple errors and needed to correct assessed values on several parcels.

Speaker 6 (Assessor’s office presenter) detailed four correction items: at 7603 Feros Drive an extra digit produced an $11,000,800 error that staff will correct; at 5310 Thornbridge Court new-construction occupancy was not entered into the system and a contractors’ 50% land discount must be removed so full land value and new-construction value are recorded; at 2719 Douglas Court staff adjusted land from half value to full value and aligned the house valuation with the neighborhood; and at 9813 West Town Road the buyer had purchased the property after the house had been removed, so house value will be removed as of the purchase date.

The assessor’s presenter also requested exemptions for two church‑owned parcels acquired by the Diocese of Jefferson City and used by St. Stanislaus Church: 6503 Route W (parish offices) and a Route W parcel being used as a new section of Saint Stanislaus Cemetery. Commissioner Speaker 5 (Unidentified Speaker) noted that church ownership alone does not guarantee exemption and that qualifying use for religious purposes is the test for exemption; the board approved the assessor’s errors-and-omissions and exemption requests by voice vote.

Why it matters: Corrections affect taxable values and future tax bills if corrections change assessed values; exemptions remove property from taxation when they meet statutory use requirements. The transcript records motions and affirmative voice votes, but does not contain the underlying valuation exhibits or the statute citations for exemptions.

Next steps: Staff will process the corrections and the exemptions as approved; no specific implementation timeline beyond standard assessor procedures was provided in the transcript.