KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Home owners in Jackson County are facing a significant increase in property values this year.
Gail McCann Beatty, the director of assessment for the county, said she's estimating a 30% increase.
The increase comes after skyrocketing values in Jackson County in 2019, when it was 70% higher than any other Missouri county.
It also comes as people are already dealing with inflation, rent increases and higher grocery prices.
A 30% average property value increase would be the largest in Jackson County's history.
This increase now has homeowners wondering what damage a large tax increase can do.
“That’s going to hit us hard,” said Jess Buck, a homeowner Jackson County.
KSHB 41 also talked with Buck two years ago, when his Jackson County property taxes took a sharp turn.
“We’re all happy in our homes, I feel like we are getting pushed out,” he said. “I’ve been here 12 years now and the thing that’s kind of burying me is taxes.”
Now, he could see another potential increase.
“I would just have to work harder and have less,” he said.
In 2019, data analyst Preston Smith forecasted the increase would happen this year.
“To have a large tax increase now is going to hurt people so much worse than it did in 2019,” Smith said. “My concern is we will see foreclosures or bankruptcies, we know the county increases.”
McCann Beatty said the county will stay transparent through the process with public meetings.
“I think people question how the process works because they're used to getting an appraisal when they get a loan,” Beatty said. “I think they assume that if property values go up, that that automatically means that their taxes are going to go up. But it is actually the taxing jurisdictions that set that tax rate and I encourage them to participate in that process and attend the meetings.”
Still, Smith believes this an issue only to Jackson County.
“The voters have a say in how those levees will be set, this is clearly a plan orchestrated by Jackson County,” he said.
According to Beatty, the county expects 60,000 total appeals this year.
“That would be three times the appeals we had in 2019,” Smith said. “In 2019, there were three areas of the county that did not see substantial increases that were Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit and Independence. Most of those people saw that 14.9% increase, and I believe those areas in particular will be targeted this time for increases larger than 30%.”
Meanwhile, Buck is waiting to see the changes from the tax increase.
“I’m not going to lose my house, but some people might,” Buck said. “Personally, I’m looking to have a lot less or nothing to save when I’m older.”
Smith offered some tips for people to prepare.
He suggests scheduling your own home appraisal. Smith says while it isn’t cheap, it is like insurance.
Smith also says homeowners should take pictures of damage in their house and get contractor evaluations of what it will take to fix it.
Smith has been working to pass a Missouri bill that caps assessment increases at 4% each.
Also included in the bill is when people are 65 and older, it would freeze their assessment so it could never be increased.
On Tuesday, the bill heads to a house floor vote. If passed, it could be put on the ballot in November, impacting the 2025 assessment value.
Appeals can be filed starting on May 1 through July 10.
There are four upcoming community for people to learn about the increase.
The dates are below:
- Wednesday, March 22, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mid Continent Public Library, 1000 NE Colbern Road, Lee's Summit, MO, 64086
- Monday, March 27, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Morning Star Youth and Family Life Center, 2525 E 27th Street, KCMO, 64127
- Wednesday, March 29, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Fleming Meeting Hall, 21906 SW Woods Chapel Road, Blue Springs, MO, 64015
- Wednesday, April 5, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Mid Continent Public Library, North Independence 317 W 24 Highway, Independence MO, 64050
—
