SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Reported from the Committee on Local Government, January 22, 2004, with recommendation that the House Committee Substitute for House Bill Nos. 950 & 948 Do Pass by Consent.
STEPHEN S. DAVIS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 48.020 and 48.030, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to classifications of counties, with an emergency clause.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 48.020 and 48.030, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 48.020 and 48.030, to read as follows:
48.020. All counties of this state are hereby classified, for the purpose of establishing organization and powers in accordance with the provisions of section 8, article VI, Constitution of Missouri, into four classifications determined as follows:
Classification 1. All counties having an assessed valuation of [four hundred fifty] six hundred million dollars and over shall automatically be in the first classification after that county has maintained such valuation for the time period required by section 48.030; however, any county of the second classification which, on August 13, 1988, has had an assessed valuation of at least four hundred million dollars for at least one year may, by resolution of the governing body of the county, elect to be classified as a county of the first classification after it has maintained such valuation for the period of time required by the provisions of section 48.030.
Classification 2. All counties having an assessed valuation of [three] four hundred fifty million dollars and less than the assessed valuation necessary for that county to be in the first classification shall automatically be in the second classification after that county has maintained such valuation for the time period required by section 48.030.
Classification 3. All counties having an assessed valuation of less than the assessed valuation necessary for that county to be in the second classification shall automatically be in the third classification.
Classification 4. All counties which have attained the second classification prior to August 13, 1988, and which would otherwise return to the third classification after August 13, 1988, because of changes in assessed valuation shall remain a county in the second classification and shall operate under the laws of this state applying to the second classification.
48.030. 1. Other than as otherwise provided for in this section, after September 28, 1979, no county shall move from a lower class to a higher class or from a higher class to a lower class until the assessed valuation of the county is such as to place it in the other class for five successive years[; but,].
2. No second class county shall become a third class county until the assessed valuation of the county is such as to place it in the third class for at least five successive years and until the assessed valuations for calendar year 1985 have been entered on the tax rolls of each county in accordance with subsections 6 and 7 of section 137.115, RSMo.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 1 of this section, a county may become a first class county at any time after the assessed valuation of the county is such as to be a first class county and the governing body of the county elect to change classifications. The effective date of such change of classification shall be in accordance with the provisions of this section.
4. The change from one classification to another shall become effective at the beginning of the county fiscal year following the next general election after the certification by the state equalizing agency for the required number of successive years that the county possesses an assessed valuation placing it in another class. If a general election is held between the date of the certification and the end of the current fiscal year, the change of classification shall not become effective until the beginning of the county fiscal year following the next succeeding general election.
Section B. Because immediate action is necessary to safeguard the finances of certain counties, section A of this act is deemed necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, peace, and safety, and is hereby declared to be an emergency act within the meaning of the constitution, and section A of this act shall be in full force and effect upon its passage and approval.