Homeowners told they won’t get property tax refunds because the money has already been spent

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) – Thousands of residents in Jackson County are frustrated as county leaders say there will be no refunds after homeowners filed appeals in the 2023 property tax assessment.

County leaders said the money has already been spent.

Jackson County is in the westernmost part of Missouri, bordering Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 717,204.

An unprecedented 54,000 property owners appealed their property evaluations last year, and more than 10,000 of those appeals are still unresolved.

The county’s announcement about refunds comes after the Missouri State Tax Commission ordered the county to fix the assessment after errors were found.

The Missouri State Tax Commission ordered Jackson County to cap property tax assessments at a 15% increase.

However, many residents were charged far more than that. One of those residents is Laura Carey, who said she spent the last year fighting the county over the tax increase.

Her property tax went up 69%, and because of that, her mortgage increased by roughly $500 a month, something she says she can’t afford.

“I’m frustrated with it,” Carey said. “But I’m going to continue to fight.”

She’s worried that she might lose the home she raised her five kids in.

“A decision that would have never been made before is now on the table,” Carey said. “When you’re retired, on a fixed income, you can’t roll out some more money. You can’t go to work on overtime. You have to figure out what to do.”

Carey hopes the State Tax Commission will hold the county accountable and enforce the tax increase at a cap of 15%.

“Do I expect to see a refund? No. Would I like to see a credit? Sure,” Carey said.

However, county officials said homeowners who were overtaxed should not expect the problem to be fixed because the money has already been spent.

“So, I wanted to disabuse people that they’re going to get some lovely refund check because of because of this egregious error, but it’s not going to happen,” County Administrator Troy Schulte said.

Schulte said those losses to tax revenue will have to be made up somewhere.

“If we are forced to comply with this order, as written, we can face substantial cuts to central services,” Schulte said. “This includes vital areas like our schools, fire protection and police departments.”

Schulte said the county will work with the 57 taxing jurisdictions within Jackson County to fight the order from the State Tax Commission.

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