Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota announced Thursday that all property owners are now eligible for tax credits to make up for controversial 2023 assessments.
LeVota said he was appointed to the office two months ago with a mandate to give tax relief to everyone and restore trust in the county government.
“My goal is straightforward: Ensure every taxpayer receives the reduction they're entitled to, and deliver customer service that is clear, efficient and fair to everyone in Jackson County,” LeVota said.
Two years ago, property owners in Jackson County saw their assessments go up by an average of 30% in value. In response, many property owners appealed their assessment to receive a lower rate.
Those documents, called stipulation agreements, lessened the property tax burden for many who signed them. The binding legal documents were treated like the final value of the house.
Earlier this year, Jackson County agreed to cap property tax increases at 15% to comply with a State Tax Commission ruling. That meant property owners paid their 2023 taxes based on higher values than the capped assessment hikes. The State Tax Commission ordered that excess money be returned to taxpayers, which LeVota agreed to implement in the form of tax credits.
There was just one problem: The people who signed stipulation agreements didn’t qualify for the initial tax credits because the legally binding document meant that they approved of their property value.
Now LeVota is changing that. He said it’s not fair for the tax credits to go to some homeowners and not all who want them.
“Many people only agreed to those values out of frustration, duress, or, frankly, just being tired of being dragged along,” LeVota said. “To essentially punish them for following the appeals process, when others who didn't (follow the process) benefit, is just not fair.”
Even though the agreements are legally binding, LeVota said he has the power under Jackson County’s charter to correct errors in valuations, including the agreements. The countywide realignment gives every homeowner access to the tax reductions.
A representative from the State Tax Commission declined to comment on the credits. County legislator Sean Smith, who has long fought for the assessments to be rolled back and lowered, said this is important to his constituents.
“You had a lot of folks who were exhausted by a process, and in some cases, didn't really feel like they were signing an agreement they liked, but it was, they thought, the best they could do,” Smith said. “To exclude them would have been wrong.”
The changes will extend the credits to about 142,000 people affected by the 2023 residential assessments and about 6,200 commercial property owners who entered into the stipulation agreements this year.
LeVota said the credits will be applied automatically over the next three years, so people who signed an agreement after their appeal do not need to fill out any new forms. Homeowners who prefer to keep their agreed-upon rate and not receive tax credits to lower them to the 15% cap are allowed to do so, but need to inform the county.
The tax credits will not apply to property owners who signed the agreement but have since sold their homes. They also do not apply to 2025 property taxes. LeVota said this is one of the final phases in getting tax relief to Jackson County residents.
A new hotline for taxpayer questions
The county will also establish a taxpayer assistance hotline with one central phone number and email for residents to get answers to their tax questions. The hotline will go live next week. Residents can email taxquestions@jacksongov.org or call 816-881-4455 with questions they may have.
The hotline will combine the assessment and collections departments in one place, to make answers easier and more efficient to get. LeVota said the hotline is necessary because he’s heard of many instances where people feel like they get the “run around” from the county.
“It's not because county staff aren't trying to help them, but we have disciplines of different areas,” LeVota said. “We're going to get one discipline and one phone call and one email for taxpayers to utilize.”
Hotline employees will be able to answer questions about property tax issues like cars, real estate, assessments and appeals.
Smith said the county legislature needs to support LeVota to continue to find ways to give relief to taxpayers and establish a more fair and accurate assessment process.
“Whatever we can do to help support the county executive and the administration in fixing retroactively what was done wrong,” Smith said. “But also looking forward, how do you do it right? What resources do you need? And how do we make sure that we can make this a smooth process for all of our taxpayers going forward?”
