COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.:0033S.01I Bill No.:SJR 13 Subject:County Officers; Counties; County Government Type:Original Date:January 9, 2023Bill Summary:This proposal requires all county assessors to be elected.
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUNDFUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026
General Revenue*
$0 or (More than
$7,000,000)$0$0
Total Estimated Net
Effect on General
Revenue
$0 or (More than
$7,000,000)$0$0
*The potential fiscal impact of “(More than $7,000,000)” would be realized only if a special
election were called by the Governor to submit this joint resolution to voters.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON OTHER STATE FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026Total Estimated Net
Effect on Other State
Funds $0$0$0
Numbers within parentheses: () indicate costs or losses. L.R. No. 0033S.01I
Bill No. SJR 13
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ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026Total Estimated Net
Effect on All Federal
Funds $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE)FUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026Total Estimated Net
Effect on FTE 000
☒ Estimated Net Effect (expenditures or reduced revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any
of the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
☐ Estimated Net Effect (savings or increased revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any of
the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026Local Government$0*$0$0 or (Unknown)
Costs net to $0 if L.R. No. 0033S.01I
Bill No. SJR 13
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FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from Office of the Secretary of State assume, each year, a number of joint resolutions
that would refer to a vote of the people a constitutional amendment and bills that would refer to a
vote of the people the statutory issue in the legislation may be considered by the General
Assembly.
Unless a special election is called for the purpose, Joint Resolutions proposing a constitutional
amendment are submitted to a vote of the people at the next general election. Article XII section
2(b) of the Missouri Constitution authorizes the governor to order a special election for
constitutional amendments referred to the people. If a special election is called to submit a Joint
Resolution to a vote of the people, section 115.063.2 RSMo requires the state to pay the costs.
The cost of the special election has been estimated to be $7 million based on the cost of the 2020
Presidential Preference Primary.
The Secretary of State’s office is required to pay for publishing in local newspapers the full text
of each statewide ballot measure as directed by Article XII, Section 2(b) of the Missouri
Constitution and Section 116.230-116.290, RSMo. Funding for this item is adjusted each year
depending upon the election cycle. A new decision item is requested in odd numbered fiscal
years and the amount requested is dependent upon the estimated number of ballot measures that
will be approved by the General Assembly and the initiative petitions certified for the ballot. In
FY 2014, the General Assembly changed the appropriation so that it was no longer an estimated
appropriation.
For the FY22 petitions cycle, the SOS estimated publication costs at $70,000 per page. This
amount is subject to change based on number of petitions received, length of those petitions and
rates charged by newspaper publishers.
The Secretary of State’s office will continue to assume, for the purposes of this fiscal note, that it
should have the full appropriation authority it needs to meet the publishing requirements.
Because these requirements are mandatory, the SOS reserves the right to request funding to meet
the cost of the publishing requirements if the Governor and the General Assembly again change
the amount or continue to not designate it as an estimated appropriation.
Oversight has reflected, in this fiscal note, the state potentially reimbursing local political
subdivisions the cost of having this joint resolution voted on during a special election in fiscal
year 2024. This reflects the decision made by the Joint Committee on Legislative Research that
the cost of the elections should be shown in the fiscal note. The next scheduled statewide
primary election is in August 2024 and the next scheduled general election is in November 2024
(both in FY 2025). It is assumed the subject within this proposal could be on one of these ballots;
however, it could also be on a special election called for by the Governor (a different date). L.R. No. 0033S.01I
Bill No. SJR 13
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Therefore, Oversight will reflect a potential election cost reimbursement to local political
subdivisions in FY 2024.
Officials from Jackson County assume a cost of over $150,000 annually to hire a professional
manager of the assessment department. This would be in addition to the cost of the elected
assessor.
Oversight notes the provisions of this proposal are subject to a vote of the people. In the event
the proposal does not pass, the provisions would not be implemented and the fiscal impact would
be $0. If the proposal is approved, then the provisions could result in additional costs to Jackson
County. Therefore, for fiscal note purposes, Oversight will range the cost for Jackson County as
$0 or (Unknown).
Officials from the Department of Revenue, the St. Louis County Board of Elections and the
Jackson County Election Board each assume the proposal will have no fiscal impact on their
respective organizations. Oversight does not have any information to the contrary. Therefore,
Oversight will reflect a zero impact in the fiscal note for these agencies.
FISCAL IMPACT – State GovernmentFY 2024
(10 Mo.)
FY 2025FY 2026GENERAL REVENUETransfer Out - SOS - reimbursement of
local election authority election costs if
a special election is called by the
Governor
$0 or (More
than
$7,000,000)$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
GENERAL REVENUE
$0 or (More
than
$7,000,000)
$0$0 L.R. No. 0033S.01I
Bill No. SJR 13
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FISCAL IMPACT – Local GovernmentFY 2024
(10 Mo.)
FY 2025FY 2026LOCAL POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS
Costs – Jackson County - potential
additional staffing costs for an elected
assessor$0$0
$0 or
(Unknown)
Transfer In - Local Election
Authorities - reimbursement of election
costs by the State for a special election
$0 or More
than
$7,000,000
$0$0
Costs - Local Election Authorities -
cost of a special election if called for by
the Governor
$0 or (More
than
$7,000,000)$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
LOCAL POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS$0$0
$0 or
(Unknown)
FISCAL IMPACT – Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
FISCAL DESCRIPTION
Currently, assessors of all charter counties except for Jackson County are required to be elected
officers. This proposed Constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, removes this
exception for Jackson County. Additionally, this amendment adds that assessors shall have any
other qualifications as provided by law.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not
require additional capital improvements or rental space. L.R. No. 0033S.01I
Bill No. SJR 13
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SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of the Secretary of State
Jackson County
Department of Revenue
St. Louis County Board of Elections
Jackson County Election Board
Julie MorffRoss StropeDirectorAssistant DirectorJanuary 9, 2023January 9, 2023