Jackson County responds to State Tax Commission's order as politically motivated and inaccurate8/8/2024
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced in a release August 7th that the State Tax Commission issued an order rolling back what Bailey called "Jackson County’s unlawful 2023 property assessments". “After obtaining valuable information through discovery in my lawsuit against Jackson County, the State Tax Commission has issued an order rolling back Jackson County’s illegal property tax assessments,” Bailey said in the release. “This is a huge win for every property owner in Missouri, but especially in Jackson County. The Missouri Constitution expressly prohibits a county from illegally taxing its residents, which is why we fought so hard to obtain justice for Jackson County property owners. I will always fight for Missourians who are being over-taxed, especially in the Biden-Harris economy where everyone’s wallet is stretched thin.” The order requires rollback of the 2023 assessments to current levels or a 15% increase from the “last” assessment, whichever is less. In most cases, this means rollback to the 2021 assessment level plus 15%. In a small percentage of cases, it means rollback to the 2022 assessment level (to capture new construction) plus 15%. Attorney General Bailey filed suit alongside the State Tax Commission against Jackson County claiming the County failed to follow the law in assessing and levying taxes. The lawsuit alleges Jackson County caused significant economic harm to residents when it dramatically and illegally increased property owner’s assessments which resulted in undue taxes. Bailey’s lawsuit asserts that county officials violated state law when they failed to give timely and proper notice of assessments, failed to perform the required physical inspections of certain property, and handled appeals of their property assessments in an illegal and dysfunctional manner. In a release responding to the order, Jackson County states they unequivocally reject the State Tax Commission’s (STC) recent order issued, "deeming it both inaccurate and dangerously politicized. The STC’s order is a desperate, last-minute maneuver before the conclusion of a trial on related issues. It is nothing more than a litigation tactic from politically motivated actors who are ill-informed and acting in bad faith." "Our reassessment plans for 2023 and 2024 were reviewed and approved by the STC. Despite this, and without any hearings or evidence, the Commission now asserts that we failed to meet statutory requirements. This claim is baseless. Even the State’s own 'expert' acknowledged on social media that they failed to prove their case. Furthermore, the original order received by the County notably included the signature of a commissioner who had recused himself from the vote—an alarming indication of the unprofessional and haphazard manner this process has been conducted." The County further states the consequences of this order would be "disastrous for our community. Local school districts have made it clear that such an order could cost them nearly $1,500 per student—a crippling blow to our educational system. But the damage wouldn’t stop there. Libraries, fire departments, and cities across the county would face serious budget cuts, which would negatively impact the essential services our residents depend on every day." The County shared Amicus briefs from four area school districts - Fort Osage, Independence, Lee's Summit, and Oak Grove - detailing the effects they state will occur as a result of the order. (Links to the Amicus briefs are provided at the bottom of this article.) “For too long, many homes have been undervalued, forcing others to overpay,” Jackson County Assessor Gail McCann Beatty said. “We cannot and will not allow this injustice to continue. We will do our jobs and uphold the law by assessing properties at market value, regardless of these political games.” “Our mission is to provide a fair and equitable process where no one pays more than the law requires,” Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr said. “This reckless order is harmful to not only taxing jurisdictions, but also taxpayers. While fixing decades of mismanagement hasn’t been easy, we are committed to fairness and will continue working every day to achieve it. Actions like this do immense harm to our communities.” Read the State Tax Commission's order here: Order of STC to Jackson County Regarding 2023 and 2024 Assessments.pdf (mo.gov) 
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