Jackson County's 'Catastrophic' Assessment Failures Leave Homeowners Paying More

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released a final audit on Friday that assigned a 'poor' rating to the Jackson County assessment department.

The report covers the county's 2023 property assessment process. Fitzpatrick described the department's performance during that cycle as a 'catastrophic failure.' The audit identified specific failures in how the county notified homeowners, conducted property inspections, and handled assessment appeals.

Local residents said the findings confirm their suspicions. Greg Walters, who has lived in his Raytown neighborhood for more than 40 years, said the county's assessment methods have become a growing concern for residents. Walters stated that the assessed value of his home increased by $30,000 during the 2023 cycle.

"This is a very solid neighborhood here," Walters said. "People take good care of their properties. Most people who come in, they don't go anywhere because they're nice big ranches." He added that he was not surprised by the audit's findings regarding the conduct of county staff. "No, I'm not surprised they're have been some bad people up there. One was recalled," he said.

Walters successfully received a rollback of his property taxes. However, he argued that the county must overhaul how homeowners challenge their property values. Walters questioned the fairness of the current appeals process, noting that representatives from taxing entities participate in the decisions.

"You know who sits the judgement on you? The city of Raytown, the school district, the fire district, anybody who has some of the money going to them," Walters said. "And that's unfair because they get to sit in judgement and all you can do is ask, and they're really supposed to be working for us, but it doesn't seem like they are."

The audit's conclusions create uncertainty for the county's next property reassessment, scheduled for 2027. Walters placed responsibility for fixing the system on county leadership and the elected officials who oversee the process. "The legislature, the elected officials, they're the ones we elect directly, and if they choose poorly on who they have doing work for them, then they should take the blame and they should take the hit," he said. Homeowners in the county are now waiting for the department to explain how it will implement the changes required by the state auditor.