Kansas City Westside Property Tax Politics ALMOST Explained

Property tax abatement on KC's Westside was a white hat effort that might save quite a few Mexican grandmas from getting booted out of their homes . . . They'd probably be very happy to repay the debt in tortillas and/or hugs . . . Moreover, we expect this plan will be expanded across urban Kansas City following the upcoming low-turnout election.

Here's a bit more detail and more info behind a paywall . . .

The plan, which offers Westside households different levels of tax abatement based on their annual income, so far has garnered significant interest. By the year's end, 132 households had enrolled, triggering abatements by way of quit claim deed transfers to, and immediately back from, an affiliate of the nonprofit Westside Housing Organization.

Rolling out the Chapter 353 plan meant a concerted push over the three-month period between its passage and the end of 2022. That effort encouraged Westside participants to maximize their benefit, said Stinson LLP Partner Chris Frantze, whose law firm helped develop the Westside program on a pro bono basis alongside Legal Aid of Western Missouri.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

More than 130 Westside households tap KC incentive program to counter rapid tax increases - Kansas City Business Journal

A Kansas City incentive program traditionally tapped for private development projects last fall was instituted for the Westside neighborhood, which experienced Jackson County's highest average property tax increase in recent years. A stakeholder effort since then has led to significant household enrollment in the plan.