Jackson County tax levies may rise due to tax credits being offered by the county

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.

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The Lee's Summit School Board voted to partially eliminate a voluntary tax rollback put in place since the 2023-24 Jackson County tax debacle, meaning property taxes will increase for residents.

The district's financial advisor said homeowners will see an increase of $120 annually if their home's assessed value is $100,000.

Kristin Grubbs, a Lee's Summit resident, said the increase will directly affect her household.

"I think it's gonna increase our family's property taxes by around $400."

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Grubbs said she does not believe a tax increase is the right move.

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"The whole decision is, it always seems to be to just increase money," Grubbs said.

While some residents are blaming the school district, the district is pointing elsewhere.

"I think accountability needs to go to the county and state officials," said Nicky Nickens, a school board member.

Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota created a tax credit plan for residents who were overcharged in previous years. School districts that rely on property taxes say the burden from those credits will fall on them.

"Due to tax credits going out over the next three years, that's going to take $27 million out of our budget. That's going to affect all 12 districts in Jackson County," Nickens said.

LeVota said he understands the difficulty of the situation.

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"I'm sympathetic. I wish we weren't in this situation."

I asked LeVota whether tax relief for overassessed residents could be offset if tax levies are increased.

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"That's the question each school district, library district, fire protection district decides. Are they eating the tax credit and the taxpayer's getting money and behind they're raising the levy and it becomes a wash for the people in their district? I don't know," LeVota said.

LeVota has been outspoken about correcting Jackson County's property tax problems. On Tuesday, he vetoed two ordinances that would have increased property taxes. The county legislature then overturned his vetoes.

"It's unfortunate the legislature did raise those taxes. This is how politics works. That's the process," LeVota said.

Jackson County taxpayers can expect the county, cities, schools, and other services to adjust their levy rates. After those adjustments and credits are applied, residents should find out how much they owe in November.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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