Some Jackson County property owners surprised by jump in assessed values

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Jackson County is in the process of sending out property assessments for 2023. Many homeowners are experiencing sticker shock at the increase in value, which could lead to a higher property tax bill.

Gail McCann Beatty, the county’s Director of Assessment, said the average increase from the last county assessment in 2021 was around 30%. She said Jackson County has been working to bring up assessed values to match market prices, which have increased sharply in the past few years.

“We’re not here for a tax grab, but we do have a statutory requirement for market value,” McCann Beatty said. “We want to make sure no one pays more than their fair share.”

She said the county has expanded its review process this year to help owners navigate the process. For property owners who wish to dispute their assessment, the county’s website has information regarding filing an appeal or requesting interior inspections.

At the county’s new office building at 1300 Washington St., residents can review their assessment. The county has hired real estate agents to help people find comparable real estate listings and other supporting data that may help with the process.

“We just wanted to make it more comfortable for people and let them sit down one on one,” McCann Beatty said.

One Kansas City Realtor, George Medina, has been helping his neighbors through the process. He received his valuation earlier this month, which showed that his home had jumped 76% in value. He was able to successfully lower that increase through the review process.

“I knew property values had gone up,” Medina said. “I was just surprised they’d gone up that much.”

Medina found that his neighbors had experienced similar increases. He has been offering help for people who wish to dispute their assessments, even sending out flyers advertising his services.

He recommends gathering supporting photos and documents such as architectural plans to help make the case for your home’s value.

“Maybe their square footage isn’t accurate, maybe the number of bedrooms isn’t accurate,” Medina said. “Anything like that will just help you in the future.”

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