About the Assessor's Office
Linda Wagner, Assessor
Linda Wagner is the Ste Genevieve County Assessor. Linda was elected into office September 1, 2009 after working within the office since February 18, 1992 and has recently been elected for a third term. Linda is a member of the Missouri State Assessors Association and currently serves on the Personal Property Committee. Linda is also active in the Central East Missouri Assessors Association, serving as both Secretary and Treasurer.
The Assessment Process
Assessment is the process of placing a value on property for the purpose of property taxation. The Assessor is charged with placing fair market value on property as of the tax date. This assures the tax burden is distributed fairly among those responsible for payment. The property tax in Missouri is “ad valorem” meaning the taxes are based on the property value.
The Assessor has no jurisdiction or responsibility for taxing jurisdiction budgets or establishing the tax rates. The taxing authority (schools, cities, fire districts, etc.) establish the tax rates. The collection authority (Collector’s Office), is responsible for collecting the amount of tax assigned to each property owner.
The Missouri County Assessor is primarily responsible for assessing property within the county. Furthermore, the assessor’s work is subject to review by the County Board of Equalization and the Missouri State Tax Commission. The State Tax Commission is the state agency charged with general supervision of assessors and with enforcing property tax laws.
