A statewide vote guarantees that Jackson County residents will elect the county assessor, though a county-wide vote last year determined the same thing.
Before November 2025, Jackson County was the only charter county — a list that also includes St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson counties — to have its county assessor appointed.
The county assessor determines how much property is worth during tax season, which means they’ve got a direct line to how much residents pay in property tax.
In 2023, Jackson County property owners saw massive increases in their property value — 30% on average, though some homeowners saw more than 200% — far above the 15% cap under state law.
The dramatic increases triggered fallout at the state and local level. The Missouri state auditor said the reassessment process “trampled on (property owner’s) rights," the attorney general sued the county, and now property owners may get $250 million back under a tax assessment settlement.
Voters say the increases were a large reason why they ousted former County Executive Frank White Jr., who appointed the assessor, in a special election.
Taxpayers were angry. More than 88% of voters in 2025 chose to make the county assessor an elected position.
Because of that county-wide vote, residents will elect an assessor in the 2028 general election. The county agreed to cap increases at the state-mandated 15%.
The push to put Amendment 2 on the ballot came before the county’s vote. Statehouse legislators unanimously voted to place the question on the ballot.
The big difference between the county and statewide vote is that the statewide vote codified the decision into the state’s constitution, which is far more laborious to reverse. It would take another county-wide vote to reverse the county’s decision, but a statewide vote to reverse this one.
