Collector Chris Mollendorf told the Cass County Commission that the county will amend its ordinance to remove an annual in-person renewal requirement for seniors receiving the county property tax credit. "We had 9,466 senior households sign up for the program," Mollendorf said, and noted that those households collectively saved "approximately $3,600,000." He said 151 households remained unpaid as of the meeting morning and that staff identified and corrected 13 mistaken bills.

Mollendorf described practical obstacles that had made renewals difficult for some seniors: lack of transportation, vision or hearing impairments, and mobility issues. To reduce burdens, the Collector's Office will change renewals so enrolled seniors will not need to return to the office annually. "They never have to come in again," Mollendorf said, adding the office will send a formal letter to enrolled seniors after the ordinance takes effect.

On administration, Mollendorf said the office has subscribed to LexisNexis to access the national death file and will check deeds processed in the county clerk's office daily to identify property sales that should trigger unenrollment. He gave open-enrollment dates for new applicants as April 13 through July 2 and said the county will notify residents via press releases, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Mollendorf also said the office used spreadsheets and standard Microsoft products to manage the program this year and did not purchase specialized software yet; he signaled that Missouri-focused vendor tools developed for Senate Bill 190 and follow-up Senate Bill 756 may be adopted later. He said the change aims to preserve program integrity while reducing administrative burdens on seniors.

The commission moved, seconded and voted to adopt Ordinance 26-01. Commissioners present announced the ordinance passed. The commission did not specify implementation dates beyond the announced open-enrollment window; staff will issue formal notices to enrolled households and taxing entities about projected revenue impacts.