Did Missouri approve fair ballot wording requiring all charter counties to elect trained county assessors?
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This page answers the general question as of 2025. Ezel answers yours: what it means for your facts, under current Missouri law, with citations.
Plain-English summary
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey approved the legal content and form of proposed fair ballot language for Senate Joint Resolution Nos. 23 and 3. The approved yes-vote statement said the Missouri Constitution would require all charter counties, including Jackson County, to elect a county assessor and require those assessors to comply with state-law training requirements.
The no-vote statement said current constitutional provisions would remain unchanged, including Jackson County's exemption from electing its assessor and the absence of general-law training requirements for charter-county assessors. The statement said the measure would have no tax impact. The opinion did not endorse the measure.
What this means for you
Charter-county voters and officials
The reviewed language contrasted a yes vote requiring elected, state-trained assessors in all charter counties with a no vote leaving the current constitutional rules unchanged.
Jackson County residents and officials
The fair ballot language specifically identified Jackson County's current exemption from the requirement to elect its assessor.
County assessors and election researchers
Opinion 114-2025 records approval of the fair ballot wording and the statement that the measure would have no impact on taxes.
Common questions
Q: What would a yes vote do?
A: It would require every charter county, including Jackson County, to elect a county assessor and require those assessors to comply with state-law training requirements.
Q: What would a no vote do?
A: It would leave current constitutional provisions unchanged, including Jackson County's exemption and the current training-rule treatment of charter-county assessors.
Q: Did the statement identify a tax impact?
A: No. It said the measure would have no impact on taxes.
Q: Did the attorney general endorse the measure?
A: No. The opinion approved the fair ballot language's legal content and form and expressly disclaimed endorsement.
Background and statutory framework
The Missouri Secretary of State requested review on June 18, 2025. The attorney general reviewed the proposed fair ballot language under § 116.025, RSMo and approved it on June 27, 2025.
The measure was identified as Senate Joint Resolution Nos. 23 and 3. The opinion reproduced the yes-vote, no-vote, and tax-impact statements.
Citations and references
Statute: § 116.025, RSMo.
Source
- Landing page: https://ago.mo.gov/other-resources/ag-opinions/
- Original PDF: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/114-2025.pdf
Original opinion text
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY
June 27, 2025
OPINION LETTER NO. 114-2025
The Honorable Denny Hoskins
Missouri Secretary of State
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
600 West Main Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Secretary Hoskins:
This opinion letter responds to your request dated June 18, 2025, for our review under § 116.025, RSMo, of a proposed fair ballot language for Senate Joint Resolution Nos. 23 & 3. The proposed fair ballot language statement is as follows:
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to require that all charter counties, including Jackson County, elect a county assessor and that such assessors comply with training requirements established by state law.
A “no” vote will not change the current constitutional provisions, which exempt Jackson County from the requirement to elect its assessor and do not require charter county assessors to follow training requirements under general law.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
Pursuant to § 116.025, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed fair ballot language statement.
Because our review of the fair ballot language statement is mandated by statute, no action we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the initiative petition, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents.
Very truly yours,
ANDREW BAILEY
Attorney General
OP-2025-125
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High Street
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
www.ago.mo.gov
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