KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Thursday, the Jackson County Assessor's Office announced it had begun mailing 2025 real property value change notices to property owners.
Stated in a press release, the notices are being sent in phases throughout the week, and some residents may have already received their notice.
RELATED | Jackson County agrees to follow Missouri State Tax Commission order on 2023 reassessment
KSHB 41 took community input in a Facebook post on Thursday, and a few residents commented that they received their assessments.
The County wrote in a press release that property owners must review their notice carefully.
The notice reflects the estimated assessed value of one's property based on the Missouri State Tax Commission's amended order. Jackson County vowed to comply.
The County reiterated that this notice is not a tax bill, as the assessor's office does not set tax rates.
Local taxing jurisdictions, including school districts, cities, and fire districts, set rates based on budget needs.
Chris Wolfenbarger is a managing partner for Todd Appraisal, whose office is closely watching the 2025 release of notices.
"The state tax commission has required that they roll back the '23 assessments because the taxpayers of Jackson County weren't given due process," he told KSHB 41.
Wolfenbarger's greatest concern is not a 15% max increase, but the information provided on this year's notice.
Jackson County told KSHB 41 that property owners will only see this year and the previous year's assessment values on the notice.
"If you only see the 2024 and the 2025 value, you have no idea whether or not they rolled your taxes back correctly," he explained.
In his eyes, Jackson County has an aging tax base that is being forced to search for the data online, putting people with less disposable income at greatest risk.
"All they have to do is put that 2021 assessed value on there so that people can do their own math to make sure their 2023 assessment was rolled back to 15%," Wolfenbarger added. "if you're on a fixed income, if you're elderly, if you don't have access to the internet, or if you don't use the internet particularly well, you are at extreme risk of of predation by Jackson County, intentional or unintentional."
A press release on Thursday stated that over 40,000 Jackson County seniors are already enrolled in the new tax credit program.
A qualifying senior's estimated savings will be included on 2025 notices, but may be subject to change when final tax rates are set.
Seniors eligible in 2024 can still apply by June 30, 2025, to lock in 2024 as the base rate.
To apply for the Senior Property Tax Credit Program, click here.
Additionally, the deadline to appeal, if you believe your property is overvalued for 2025, you can file with the Board of Equalization (BOE) by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 14, 2025.
There is an option to file in person at 1300 Washington Street, Kansas City, Missouri, or the fastest option online. To file online, click here.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.