Jackson County legislators voted to increase property taxes this week, overriding interim county executive Phil LeVota’s earlier veto aimed at keeping rates flat.
On Wednesday, legislators unanimously voted at a special meeting to slightly increase the tax levies for Jackson County’s Community Mental Health Fund and Board of Services for the Developmentally Disabled.
Legislative Chair Donna Peyton said the county has to make up for property assessment values dropping. Legislators said the funds would face deficits if the county kept rates the same as last year.
“It is not our intention to be tax increasers,” Peyton said. “None of us here want that, but we do want operations to continue for these organizations.”
LeVota said in a news release earlier this week that he didn’t believe Jackson County should ask taxpayers for more money as his administration works to fix the county’s property tax issues.
LeVota criticized the increases, and said at Wednesday’s meeting that other county agencies are also hurting.
“For us to identify just those two and raise taxes as this body just did, you're going to have to live with that,” LeVota said.
LeVota asked the Jackson County Legislature to instead keep the levy rates the same as last year.
At a town hall Tuesday night in Independence, LeVota announced a new tool on the Jackson County website to help residents estimate their property tax credits before their bill is revealed in November.
LeVota hopes the website clears up any confusion on what residents are owed for 2026, 2027 and 2028.
"I wanted to do this not because I'm required to or have to," he told the crowd. "I want you to have as much access, as much information as you can, as soon as possible."
Since taking office in October 2025, LeVota has made property tax and assessment issues his focus. In December, he opened up tax credits for all property owners to make up for controversial 2023 assessments. In July, the county announced a $250 million settlement to return tax collections over the legal threshold to property owners.
“I made a commitment to Jackson County taxpayers that we would fix the problems they had been facing,” said LeVota. “We have made significant progress, and I don’t believe we should now turn around and ask them to pay a higher levy rate.”
Several dozen residents attended the town hall at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence to learn about the administration's relief efforts, property tax credit information and what comes next for taxpayers.
"I think this town hall was a good example of trying to rebuild the trust that much of the county government had lost over this whole debacle," said Kurt Richter, 44, who attended to help his father navigate the senior tax credits being offered by Jackson County.
72-year-old Fred Richter said he's looking forward to seeing what he gets awarded this year.
"I try to roll with the punches, is always like you have to do these days," he said.
