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Jackson County legislator proposes solution for property owners after rollback of assessments

Sean Smith
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KSHB 41 reporter Abby Dodge covers consumer issues, personal budgeting and everyday spending. Share your story idea with Abby.

After an order by the Missouri State Tax Commission to roll back some property tax assessments, local leaders are still searching for a next step.

Earlier this week, the Jackson County Legislature approved a resolution urging the county to comply with the tax commission’s order and not appeal it.

On Friday, legislator Sean Smith went a step further and encouraged property owners to reach out to the county's collections department to try and get a property tax refund.

Smith encouraged them to fill out a form he created based off of other repayment systems in the state of Missouri.

He hopes hopes homeowners can recoup some of the money they paid to the county, through the form. But the plan has yet to be approved by the county.

"I really hope the administration will come on board because this thing just keeps getting worse," he said.

KSHB 41's Abby Dodge spoke with Georgina Alonso, a county property owner, who was hoping to see a reduction in her tax bill.

"Like, 'Oh my goodness, what happened?' Yeah, like, it is going to be hard for me to pay," she said.

Georgina Alonso
Georgina Alonso

KSHB 41 reached out to the county to see if there's an update on a solution to issue and for comment on the proposed form.

"At this point, we understand that there is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty following the STC order from a couple of weeks ago," said Marshanna Smith, a spokesperson for the county. "I think what we want people to know is that the county is still exploring its options as efficiently as possible and we will make the best decision on how to move forward."

She also reiterated that the form is not an official county form and that it could confuse property owners.