WE CANNOT COMPROMISE!
If there’s one principle I believe we must never compromise on, it’s this: property rights are key to liberty.
Our nation was built on the unshakable truth that the right to own property is foundational to a free society. John Adams, one of our founding fathers, put it plainly: “Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist.” He understood—and I agree—that without the right to own and control property, all other rights are weakened.
But property rights aren’t just a political issue—they’re a spiritual one, too. From the very beginning, God gave mankind the earth as a gift and a responsibility. In Genesis, God told Adam and Eve to dwell in and care for the Garden of Eden—a defined place with boundaries. This wasn’t a mistake; it was the original model for human freedom and stewardship. Property is a gift from God, and our ability to own, protect, and care for it is one of the freedoms He gave us.
Sadly, that freedom is under serious attack right here in Missouri. Property taxes are skyrocketing in many of our counties—especially in Jackson County, where people are already losing their homes. And it’s not just homeowners at risk. If something isn’t done soon, we’re going to see small businesses—family-run, local institutions that have served our communities for decades—start shutting their doors because they simply can’t afford the tax burden.
This is a crisis. But it’s not one we have to accept.
I believe that if the people of Missouri rise up, educate themselves, and make their voices heard, we can change the course we’re on. We must demand real solutions, lasting reform, and a return to the values that made this nation great.
Spread the Message
To help spread the message, I’m excited to announce that we’ve launched a brand new t-shirt—and it carries a simple but powerful message:
“Property Rights Are Key to Liberty”
Yes, that’s a quote from me—but it’s a message every conservative patriot in Missouri needs to wear, live, and share.
The shirts are available for pre-order right now on our new online store. Orders will close on July 15th, and shirts will be shipped or ready for pickup by the end of July. They’re a great conversation starter, a way to show your support, and an easy way to educate your friends and neighbors about what’s happening in our state.
We are in a battle for our homes, our businesses, and our future. Let’s stand together—loud, proud, and unafraid—to protect what is ours.
👉 Pre-order your shirt today: www.senatorjoenicola.com/store
Let’s spread the message before it’s too late!
UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE
One of the most important parts of my job as your State Senator is staying connected with the people I represent. Listening to your concerns, learning from your experiences, and working together to solve problems is what public service is all about. That’s why my team and I are making it a priority to provide several opportunities over the next few months to meet in person, share information, and offer support on the issues that matter most to you.
This Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., I’ll be hosting a Senior Tax Freeze Forum at the Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity. I’ll be sharing a brief legislative update, followed by an educational session focused on property taxes and the programs available in Missouri to help our senior citizens get some much-needed relief. We’ll talk about the Senior Property Tax "Freeze" program as well as the Circuit Breaker Tax Credit—two important tools that can help ease the burden for eligible homeowners. If you or someone you know is 62 or older and owns a home, I highly encourage you to join us. This event is all about making these programs easier to understand and helping people get the assistance they’ve earned.
But that’s not all—we’ve got more events on the calendar!
On August 2nd, we’re proud to host our first Missouri Veterans Expo, which will bring together a wide variety of resources for our veterans and their families.
Later in August, I’ll be hosting a grassroots educational workshop designed to help Missourians learn how to get more involved in the legislative process. Whether you're brand new to civic engagement or you’ve been paying attention for years, this workshop will give you practical tools for making your voice heard in Jefferson City.
These events—and many more to come—are listed here on the Events Page. I truly hope you’ll take a moment to check them out and make plans to join us.
At the end of the day, I work for you. My mission is to represent your values, defend your freedoms, and help solve real problems in our communities. But I can’t do that effectively without hearing from you. These events are just one way we’re trying to create more space for honest conversations and meaningful relationships. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Yesterday, the Missouri General Assembly convened for a special legislative session called by Governor Kehoe. The main topic? A proposal to spend nearly $1 billion in public funds to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri.
Let me be clear: I love our teams. I want them to stay in Kansas City. But I believe Missouri families should come first.
A Cap on Property Tax Increases
That’s why I filed a bill that would cap the increase in property tax liability on primary residential real estate to 5% per assessment cycle.
I filed this bill because I’ve heard from too many Missourians who are being crushed by skyrocketing property tax bills. Working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and single parents are being hit hard—and many are afraid they won’t be able to keep their homes.
Owning a home is part of the American Dream. It’s also the primary way Missourians build wealth and stability for their families. If we don’t act now, we risk making homeownership unattainable for thousands of people across our state.
Working Together for a Solution
Throughout this process, I’ve worked closely with Governor Kehoe, Senate leadership, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find a solution we can all support. Property taxes affect every district and every corner of Missouri—urban and rural alike. While I know this bill is only the first step toward fixing the broader property tax issue, I’m encouraged by the collaboration and momentum we’re seeing. I’m hopeful we’ll make this step official very soon.
Priorities Matter
Kansas is making a strong play to lure our teams across the border. Their governor just signed legislation to finance as much as 70% of new stadium costs through public revenue sources.
But here in Missouri, before we rush to throw taxpayer dollars at billionaire-owned teams, we need to ask:
What are we doing to help the people who are already here, working hard, paying taxes, and trying to keep their homes?
I’m not saying we shouldn’t talk about stadiums. But we must talk about tax relief first. We have a responsibility to the people we represent, not just to professional sports franchises.
I'm Fighting For You
As this special session moves forward, I’ll continue to fight for real, lasting property tax relief. I’ll continue to push for policies that make homeownership affordable, predictable, and protected.
This is about putting people over politics—and priorities over pressure.
Thank you for standing with me. If you support this effort, I encourage you to reach out and let your voice be heard.
Are Your Taxes Going Up?
Unfortunately, there's a good chance they are. Over 80 of Missouri's 114 counties have received a Memorandum of Understanding from the State Tax Commission, which is asking them to increase real property valuations in order to come into compliance with the STC's acceptable valuation threshhold. This is no longer only a Jackson County problem.
Our office has procured most of those MOUs, which you can see by clicking the links below. We encourage you to take a look and see if your county is included. If it is, you can expect your property taxes to increase - possibly skyrocket - at the end of the year.
The State Tax Commission
Most Missourians don't know much, if anything, about the State Tax Commission and its role in your tax bill or how your property taxes are determined.
First of all, the STC is made up of three commissioners appointed by the governor and approved by the senate. The three current commissioners are:
Gary Romine, Chairman
Debbie Mcginnis, Commissioner
Greg Razer, Commissioner
Their duties and responsibilites are codified in Chapter 138 of Missouri statutes.
What's most important for you to know for today is that it is their job to equalize the valuations of properties across the state in an effort to ensure one county isn't paying taxes at a rate that far exceeds or is considerably less than the others. They work with the county assessors to analyze property sales data, conducting a "Residential Sales Study" to determine the average percentage of market value.
For example, in Atchison County the Residential Sales Study result was 72.35%, meaning on average homes were valued at 72.35% of market value.
The STC has adopted the IAAO standards (International Association of Assessing Officers) which requires the valuations to be in the range of 90-110% of market value. If you are wondering why Missouri needs to adopt international standards regarding our property valuations, you're not alone.
Undervaluing Property
The problem many Missourians are about to encounter is market value of property has increased dramatically in recent years. Assessments haven't kept up and properties are being valuated significantly below the IAAO standard of 90-110% of market value. It's the STC's goal to try to get all of those counties up to the thresshold, which the IAAO deems to be "fair and equitable."
The MOU's
Memoradums of Understanding (MOU) have been issued for over 80 of Missouri's 114 counties. This is an agreement between the county assessor and the state tax commission, where the assessor is agreeing to increase the valuations as requested by the STC.
In Missouri, the assessors are able to raise property valuations by 15% without a physical inspection. If the valuation requires an increase of over 15%, an exterior evaluation is required. Ultimately, the valuation can increase without limits if a simple look at the exterior of the property is conducted. This is part of the reason Jackson County has had so many exorbitant increases and it's quite possible other counties will now experience the same.
We've uploaded the MOUs we've collected to a Google Drive so you can see if your county is included. There are three folders you need to look through.
1. Residential MOU's - These are all pertaining to residential property
2. Commercial MOU's - These are all pertaining to commercial property
3. Withheld Memos - These assessors refused to sign the MOU and because of that, the STC is recommending that thousands of dollars of state assessment maintenance plan reimbursement funds be withheld from the county
Solutions
During the upcoming special session, I'll be filing a bill that will cap the tax liability increase on residential property to 5% every 2 years. This would not eliminate the increase in valuation or assessments, but the actual tax liabilty owed. It would only apply to the primary residence and it is optional for each county to adopt, much like the senior property tax credit program.
What Can You Do?
1. Contact the governor's office and urge him to add this issue to the call for special session.
2. Contact your senator and ask they support this common sense legislation to protect home ownership & your wallets! You can find your senator's contact information here with the Legislator Lookup Tool.
Property Tax Pain in Jackson County: Senator Nicola Hears from Citizens on Unjust Assessments
This week, I sat down with Jackson County residents to listen to their stories—stories filled with frustration, confusion, and financial strain caused by unjust property tax assessments. These conversations come on the heels of a Missouri State Tax Commission (STC) order, which essentially condemned the County’s 2023 assessments as grossly inaccurate and demanded corrective action.
The order would require the 2025 assessments to use the 2022 baseline and incur no more than a 15% increase from that baseline, excluding new construction or renovations.
As I heard firsthand, this is more than a bureaucratic failure—it is a crisis affecting working families, retirees, and small property owners alike. Across the board, the theme was the same: inconsistent valuations, a lack of communication, and a painful appeals process that places undue burdens on ordinary citizens.
Disparity in Duplexes
John Welchert owns two identical duplexes next to each other. Though the buildings are the same in every way, one was assessed at a significantly higher value than the other. The comps and all the details were the same, yet the values were $40,000 different.
John ended up going through the arduous appeals process.
Residential Land Reclassified as Commercial
Grace, a retired bank employee who lives on a fixed income after suffering a stroke, owns her home and two adjoining empty lots in Independence. These lots, always taxed as residential, were abruptly reclassified as commercial—even though they are in the middle of a quiet neighborhood and are used for nothing more than lawn space.
She can't afford it and she doesn't know what to do. She shouldn't have to know - it's gross negligence on the part of Jackson County.
Unfortunately, Grace isn't the only one who is experiencing a reclassification from residential to commercial. This is happening frequently and is one of the worst injustices happening due to the commercial rate being 32% compared to residential at 19%.
Fun Fact: Agricultural land is assessed at 12% of market value.
A Voice for Senior Neighbors
Sharon Hill, a resident in a 55+ community, has become a tireless advocate for her fellow seniors. After discovering shocking inconsistencies in assessments—like one duplex with a 55% increase on one side and 40% on the other, and another with a $100,000 difference between identical units—Sharon sprang into action.
She has spent countless hours researching assessments and driving her neighbors downtown to file appeals.
The process was grueling—especially for seniors. Some waited hours just to be seen. Many couldn’t have done it without help.
From 168K to 362K—and Back
Mike Guyer’s home was previously valued at $168,000. In the 2023 reassessment, it skyrocketed to $362,000—more than double its original value. It was as if they pulled the number out of thin air.
After enduring a frustrating and bureaucratic appeals process, Mike finally succeeded in getting his valuation reduced—but the experience left him deeply distrustful of the system.
A Citizen Leader: Preston Smith
While many are just waking up to this crisis, Preston Smith has been on the front lines for years. A private citizen turned watchdog, Preston has walked door to door across neighborhoods, helping others understand their assessments and navigate the appeal process.
He has spent thousands of hours researching data, analyzing inconsistencies, and publishing resources. His Facebook group has become a hub for residents seeking help, guidance, and updates on appeals.
People feel overwhelmed. They think they’re alone. Preston is bringing people together and holding the system accountable. He's served this community well and I'm thankful for all he's done.
Preston represents the best of citizen leadership. He’s doing what our government should already be doing—informing, empowering, and protecting people.
A System in Crisis
From retirees and fixed-income homeowners to small property owners and concerned neighbors, Jackson County’s citizens are being let down by a flawed and failing assessment process. The STC’s recent order confirms what these residents already know: the system is broken.
These assessments aren’t just numbers—they’re pushing people out of their homes and eroding trust in government. We must restore fairness and accountability.
