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Jackson County is getting ready for it's 2025 property assessments, even though questions remain about 2023 assessments and appeals.
The property value assessment process starts with where you live and how your home fits into the current market value.
The International Association of Assessing Officers executive director explained a multitude of factors, like location and home improvements, go into the property value.
"It's the quality of construction, the size of the property and then the amenities that are inside the property as well," Amy Rasmussen said.
Nationwide, property values increased an average of 4.2% from 2022 to 2024, according to Freddie Mac House Price Index. But Jackson County home values soared, with some increasing more than 200%.
"In Jackson County, it's a very unique situation that's going on right now," Rasmussen said. "There's an appeal process for a reason."
Rasmussen noted a critical step of the assessment process is the differentiation between an assessor determining the value of a home and the government agencies determining tax amounts.
"That piece of it is out of the assessor's hands once the assessor sets the value of the property," Rasmussen said.
Once the property values and tax amounts came out in Jackson County in 2023, that started the battle between hundreds of homeowners appealing, the State Tax Commission (STC) ordering Jackson County to rollback 2023 increases that exceeded 15%, and Jackson County leaders pushing back on the state's order.
Jackson County was supposed to hold a hearing Monday regarding the next steps with the STC's order, but it was canceled.
"This is not a fair way to treat your taxpayers," Chris Wolfenbarger said.
Wolfenbarger has been an appraiser in Kansas City for nearly 30 years and is a managing partner with Todd Appraisal.
"The biggest thing I'm scared about in this situation is we haven't gotten any resolution on what's going to happen with the 2023 assessment and now we're basing numbers moving forward on something that's still up in the air in the courts," Wolfenbarger said.
Wolfenbarger explained his concerns with how another assessment in 2025 will have a compounding effect for low-income families.
"It's really going to impact the urban core," Wolfenbarger said. "People that are on fixed incomes and lower incomes, they can't afford (legal) representation. They can't afford a $500 appraisal."
An email sent out to Jackson County residents stated there are some changes to this year's assessment cycle, like mailing the property values to homes and then setting the tax rate following a public hearing.
"We had a big party at one point in the United States, it was called the Boston Tea Party," Wolfenbarger said. "You can't raise our taxes and not tell us and think that we're not going to take it."
KSHB 41 News reached out to the Jackson County Assessor's Office and County Executive Frank White's office multiple times on Monday with questions about the 2025 assessment process. Nobody made themselves available for any type of comment.
