Jackson County Property Tax Assessment Backlash Rises

Today's session at the county was exceptionally heated . . . Here's a scathing public indictment that comes from a longtime tax fighter . . .

Remarks From Mr. Preston Smith . . . 

"Mr. Chairman, I am going to insert some new remarks from my  submitted earlier statement that relates to a lie that County Assessor  Gail McCann Beatty has repeated for most of her public appearances for four years. She says that state law “mandates that she assess all property at market value.”  

"In 2019, I showed how nearly one out of three residential parcels were magically set to exactly a 14.9 percent increase.
In 2021, I have calculated that the average increase in the County assessment was about 7 percent in market values, when the real market value increases of sales were closer to 27 percent. I believe the last assessment was increased artificially too low, leading into an Election year.
 
"And I have evidence now that in 2023, the assessment of two out of three commercial parcels increased by 25 percent.  
This not setting market values on parcels. This is a corrupt and haphazard process that penalizes the people of Jackson County.    
 
"Not only have there been errors in the only data that the Assessment Department has released, but I believe that they have violated several state laws at nearly every step during the last month . . ."

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Read more about the hot mess via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

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Jackson County residents rip leaders for high property assessments

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Developing . . .