KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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A Jackson County, Missouri, legislator introduced a proposal Wednesday to cap commercial property assessment increases at 15%.
This month, commercial property owners have come forward with concerns that property assessments have increased by unfair amounts.
Jackson County administrators said, “State law does not allow for a phased or gradual adjustment. Instead, we are obligated to bring the property to its full market value in a single reassessment cycle.”
Residential properties in the county are only going up by a maximum of 15% this assessment cycle because of an order from the State Tax Commission.
Legislator Manny Abarca introduced Ordinance 5990 Wednesday to give property owners some relief. It should get further review at a committee hearing next week.
Andy Rieger, of J. Rieger and Co. Distillery, is one of many property owners crying foul.
The 12 parcels that make up the business’s complex in the East Bottoms, some properties increased by 10%. Another increased by 600%.
“A gravel parking lot we own is valued higher than the paved parking lots,” Rieger pointed out a discrepancy.
He plans to appeal the assessed values with the county’s Board of Equalization. He argues that these property assessments hurt businesses. The appeal process forces him to step away from the day-to-day work and scares prospective business owners from moving to Jackson County.
“This is our identity, we bought into it. We don’t have an option. We have to fight,” he admitted.
In downtown Lee’s Summit, two of Bruce Holiman’s properties doubled in value, two others tripled. He also plans to appeal the assessments.
He said any increases in taxes based on the growth in value would go to his tenants, such as Embers Candle Bar.
“It was very traumatic, obviously. At this point, we’ll get an appeal process going to see what happens, but they all went up dramatically,” Holiman said.
The deadline for a Jackson County property owner to appeal their assessment is July 14.
Legislator Sean Smith and realtor Stacey Johnson-Cosby are hosting a workshop on the appeals process for commercial owners.
The workshop takes place on Thursday, June 26, and 6 p.m. at The Loretto Event Space, 1111 W. 39th Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Registration is available online.
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