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Up To Date

Jackson County legislators demand accountability over property tax assessments

By Steve Kraske,
Claudia Brancart
Published September 14, 2023 at 1:53 PM CDT
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Jackson County Legislators Manny Abarca, left, and Sean Smith appear on KCUR's Up To Date on Sept. 14 2023.
Carlos Moreno
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KCUR 89.3
Jackson County Legislators Manny Abarca, left, and Sean Smith appear on KCUR's Up To Date on Sept. 14 2023 to discuss the county's troubled property tax assessments.

This week, Jackson County assessment director Gail McCann Beatty fielded questions from the legislature about this year’s problematic property assessments, which saw the value of properties increase by an average of 30%.

Property assessments were a hot topic at this week's Jackson County Legislature's Budget Committee meetings.

Assessment Director Gail McCann Beatty admitted the county made a data error that caused over 500 homes to be assessed at the exact same value.

“There's just uncertainty as to why this is happening and inconsistencies in the accountability of the process,” said Jackson County 1st District Legislator Manny Abarca IV on KCUR's Up To Date.

Jackson County 6th District Legislator Sean Smith said the lawmakers have invited the Missouri state auditor to inspect how the county has performed its assessments.

“The first and most important thing is to take all this anecdotal information we have and really get solid, unbiased third party data,” Smith said.

The county's recent property tax assessment saw the value of properties increase by an average of 30%.

Tags
Up To Date PodcastJackson CountyLegislationproperty taxesHousingGail McCann Beattytaxestaxestaxesreal estateKansas City Metro
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Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Claudia Brancart
As a producer for Up To Date, I create sound-rich talk show segments about the individuals and communities that call Kansas City home. Whether it’s a poet, a business owner or a local lawmaker, I seek out diverse voices to help break down the biggest stories of the day. After listening to the show, I want Up To Date listeners to feel informed and empowered to make decisions in their daily lives. You can reach me at claudiab@kcur.org
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