Jackson County voters make assessor an elected role. Here’s what happens next
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Jackson County voters approved a change to the Jackson County Charter and assessor position on Tuesday, making it an elected position and no longer appointed.
| YES | NO |
|---|---|
| 51,395 (88.2%) | 6,891 (11.8%) |
Here’s the question voters had to say yes or no to:
Shall Articles III, IV, and V of the Jackson County Charter, adopted by vote on November 3, 1970, and as amended by public votes on August 8, 1978, April 2, 1985, November 4, 1986, August 2, 1994, August 3, 2010, and November 6, 2018 be amended to require that the Charter Office of the Jackson County Assessor no longer be a qualified appointee and instead be an elected position?
Where things stand
Jackson County has been the only county in the state with an appointed assessor since at least 2010.
That year, Missouri voters approved a change to the state constitution that made it so that all counties have an elected assessor except for counties with a population of more than 600,000 but less than 700,000; Jackson County fit in that number at the time.
Currently, the Jackson County Assessor is Gail McCann Beatty. She was appointed by former Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. in 2018.
McCann Beatty has faced criticism, lawsuits, and a state audit after the 2019 and 2023 property assessments faced backlash for errors.
READ MORE: Jackson County’s 2025 tax assessments to cap at 15%, but is that enough?
Many felt getting this question on the ballot was to restore trust in the county and give the power back to the voters instead of allowing the County Executive to continue appointing the position.
KCTV5 Investigates reached out to the County to see where her position stands after this election and is waiting to hear back.
Jackson County Legislature Chairman DaRon McGee released a statement in response to the outcome.
What’s next
While Tuesday’s question was not specifically about McCann Beatty, it was about her position and what’s next for the future of the role.
The next step heads to all Missouri voters next year to possibly change the state constitution. Here’s that question:
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
Require all charter counties, including Jackson County, to provide for the election of a county assessor; and require assessors in all charter counties to comply with any training requirements established by general law? State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.
That election is set for Nov. 3, 2026.
If that passes, then in 2028 Jackson County will get the chance to elect an assessor.
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