Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that the State Tax Commission has issued an order rolling back Jackson County’s unlawful 2023 property assessments. This decision was made possible through information obtained via discovery in Attorney General Bailey’s lawsuit against Jackson County for illegally taxing its property owners.
“After obtaining valuable information through discovery in my lawsuit against Jackson County, the State Tax Commission has issued an order rolling back Jackson County’s illegal property tax assessments,” said Attorney General Bailey. “This is a huge win for every property owner in Missouri, but especially in Jackson County. The Missouri Constitution expressly prohibits a county from illegally taxing its residents, which is why we fought so hard to obtain justice for Jackson County property owners. I will always fight for Missourians who are being over-taxed, especially in the Biden-Harris economy where everyone’s wallet is stretched thin.”
The order requires the rollback of the 2023 assessments to current levels or a 15% increase from the “last” assessment, whichever is less. In most cases, this means a rollback to the 2021 assessment level plus 15%. In a small percentage of cases, it means a rollback to the 2022 assessment level (to capture new construction) plus 15%.
Attorney General Bailey filed suit alongside the State Tax Commission against Jackson County for its failure to follow the law in assessing and levying taxes. The lawsuit alleges Jackson County caused significant economic harm to residents when it dramatically and illegally increased property owners’ assessments, resulting in undue taxes. The lawsuit asserts that county officials violated state law by failing to give timely and proper notice of assessments, neglecting to perform the required physical inspections of certain properties, and handling appeals of property assessments in an illegal and dysfunctional manner.
The State Tax Commission’s order can be read here.
