Jackson County assessor speaks out against ‘misinformation’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Some Jackson County homeowners caught a break Friday when the county extended the deadline for owners to appeal property assessments to July 31. However, one county leader is crying foul, vowing to correct false information that’s spreading.

Director of Assessment Gail McCann Beatty said she’s setting the record straight.

“Really, we have gotten a number of stories that the media has jumped on from social media that have not necessarily been accurate,” Beatty said.

It comes on the heels of homeowners claiming sharp increases in their property values, resulting in higher taxes.

“We had our taxes more than doubled,” one homeowner said at a rally.

Beatty its there has been a significant rise in property values in general, but said it’s an average of about 30% increase.

“It went up 89.6% and I knew that was a lot,” another homeowner said.

“Sometimes people want to share stories to make things look far worse than they are,” McCann added. “Rather than let the misinformation continue, we wanted to have a place where we can share some real information.”

The Jackson County Assessment Department unveiled a new property assessment facts website. Leaders said it’s intended to help debunk rampant misinformation about the property valuation process.

“If you believe your property is overvalued, we want you to come and see us,” Beatty said. “That is the biggest thing. I will tell you that there are some coming in and everything is correct and the values are where they should be. The people reaching out are ones who are disgruntled. I remind people that we have 300,000 parcels.”

The appeals process won’t end until everyone has an opportunity to be heard.

“All appeals must be addressed before the process is completed,” said Beatty. “Everyone will get their opportunity to challenge their values if they so choose.”

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