KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Legislature voted on two proposed ordinances regarding commercial property assessments on Monday.
The legislature decided to hold off for a week on considering an ordinance to cap commercial property assessments at 15%. Another ordinance to extend the deadline for assessment appeals by roughly 2 1/2 weeks didn't pass.
Ian Davis, owner of Blip Coffee Roasters, is in favor of both ordinances. Davis is tired of sharp increases in tax assessments county-wide.
RELATED | Jackson County assessments
“They did it with the residential side in 2023 and 2024, and they’re following that same path with the commercial side," he said.
Davis said his 11-year-old coffee shop, along with the surrounding West Bottoms area, has seen improvements over the years. He said he understands that means taxes will increase, but he says his recent commercial property assessment increase was too sharp.
"We're seeing a 626% increase from last year, and we're getting six months to pay it," he said.
He said he'll have to pass the cost off to his customers or possibly close his shop.
“This isn’t going to just affect commercial property owners," Davis said.
RELATED | Proposal to cap commercial property assessment increases in Jackson County
County staff says the county has a legal obligation to look at fair market values, not percentage increases.
"To be clear, this is not a question about fairness, it's a question about what does state law allow us to do? And it allows us to set it at fair market value, and so that's what we're doing," said Jackson County Chief of Staff Caleb Clifford.
Clifford said Jackson County commercial properties have been undervalued for decades. County staff says the Blip Coffee Roasters property, located at 1301 Woodswether Road, is currently valued about $166,000 below what an independent bank appraisal valued the property at in 2022.
Clifford said the ordinance does not follow state law. Legally, there are questions about enforcing the measure.
For Davis, pushing back the vote a week means more uncertainty.
"I don't know who can run a business or manage a business when you don't know what your bills are going to be," he said.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
