Jackson County residents are angry and frustrated by skyrocketing property tax bills, and the Missouri House has responded, voting toward a restoration of accountability to the office of the county’s assessor.
Jackson County, since a voter-approved measure was passed more than a decade ago, is the only charter county in the state whose assessor is appointed rather than elected. The County’s assessments have been the subject of criticism and anger for months, as property values have increased by about 40-percent since the last assessments were done in 2021. The situation has earned criticism from the state auditor and is the subject of a lawsuit filed by the attorney general.
The House last week approved putting to voters a measure to reverse their earlier decision. HJRs 68 & 79 propose an amendment to Missouri’s Constitution to restore the requirement that Jackson County’s assessor be elected.
It is proposed by Blue Springs Republican Dan Stacy.
“In 2023 Jackson County had over 50,000 appeals of real estate assessment value. Actually, 54,539 appeals. That’s almost one out of every five parcels filed an appeal in Jackson County,” Stacy told his colleagues.
Representative Robert Sauls (D-Independence), who like Stacy, represents a portion of Jackson County, said idealistically he would prefer not to have the entire state voting on an issue specific to Jackson County, but he supported these Resolutions.
“We have got a situation where property tax has become extremely high and people are asking for help,” said Sauls.
Another Jackson County representative, Ingrid Burnett (D-Kansas City), was among the few who voted against the measures.
“Our Jackson County Assessor, current assessor, was handed a mess. It was a mess, the way that the county personal property taxes were being assessed,” said Burnett. “For this body to decide that the rest of the state should decide how Jackson County manages their personal property taxes is just bad policy.”
In response, Stacy reminded his colleagues, “Just keep in mind that 97-percent of Jackson County residents, when polled, said they want an elected assessor. I ask my fellow legislators to support House Joint Resolutions 68 and 79 to give the citizens of Jackson County the same privilege that every other charter county and all smaller counties have in Missouri: an elected tax assessor.”
The House voted 116-10 to advance the measure. It now goes to the Senate. If approved there, it would go to voters on a statewide ballot.