Former Jackson County assessor sues county, alleging wrongful termination
Former Jackson County Assessor Gail McCann Beatty filed a lawsuit against Jackson County Dec. 22, alleging she was ousted from her position for objecting to legislators’ assessment plans.
After Jackson County voters overwhelmingly elected to make the assessor position election-based, Interim County Executive Phil LeVota gave Beatty 24 hours to resign. Beatty declined.
Beatty was terminated by an individual named in the lawsuit as “P.L.” on Nov. 5, believed to be a reference to LeVota. P.L. told the woman the county decided to “go in a different direction,” according to the lawsuit.
When Beatty declined to resign from her position, P.L. allegedly told her if he was contacted by prospective employers in the future, he would “probably say nothing” about Beatty’s performance, according to the lawsuit.
In a text to The Star Monday, LeVota said the county is “singularly focused on helping people get their taxes paid before the end of the day on Wednesday.”
He said he will hold a press conference next week regarding the pending litigation.
Beatty was appointed to the assessor position in 2018 by former Jackson County Executive Frank White.
In the lawsuit, Beatty claimed that a legislator that took office in 2023 created “unjustified hostility and interference with assessments.”
The suit claims the legislator, only referenced in the lawsuit as M.A., but believed to be Manny Abarca, “set out on a mission to disrupt any department that he felt was loyal to the County Executive.” He reportedly became hostile with female employees in the assessment department, including Beatty.
The legislator allegedly sponsored a resolution that recommended the county executive set aside assessment values in favor of a 15% flat rate increase of the 2019 tax assessment rates, according to the lawsuit. Beatty reportedly warned that this would violate the law.
When the county executive refused the plan, the legislator allegedly would “show up unannounced at the Assessment building, glaring at and staring down staff — obviously attempting to intimidate them,” according to the lawsuit.
That legislator, along with two other legislators, only named as S.S. and V.H. in the lawsuit, but believed to be Sean Smith and Venessa Huskey, sponsored a resolution that called on the Missouri State Auditor to conduct an audit of the property assessment process, the lawsuit said.
In the lawsuit, Beatty claimed the action was a retaliatory response after she declined to set aside assessments.
The suit alleges M.A. and S.S. participated in several public meetings where they encouraged residents to file appeals “with no real justification for filing.” Additionally, billboards encouraged residents to file appeals.
As a result, over 54,000 appeals were filed, according to the lawsuit.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges, those same two legislators allegedly claimed the Feb. 2024 shooting of Independence police officer Cody Allen and Jackson County Circuit Court civil process server Drexel Mack was caused by “high assessments.”
In Aug. 2024, the Missouri State Tax Commission allegedly ordered property to be reassessed “at a 15% increase over 2022 values or the real values as assessed,” according to the lawsuit.
The County found the order “unlawful and unenforceable,” according to the lawsuit.
During legislative meetings, Beatty reportedly “expressed concerns regarding the illegality of modifying values based on the random 15%,” according to the lawsuit.
Beatty also expressed objection towards an ordinance meant to force officials to make the adjustments as she believed the adjustments “created inequity, discrimination and did not reflect true market value as required by state statues,” the lawsuit said.
In 2025, a county executive referred to in the lawsuit as F.W., believed to be Frank White, initiated an investigation into legislator M.A’s hostile conduct towards female county employees, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleged that after White was recalled in September, Beatty continued to object to the 15%. She was fired on Nov. 5.
Beatty is seeking an unspecified amount in damages for loss of salary, emotional damages and other costs, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is set for a case management conference on April 13, 2026, according to court documents.
The Star’s Ilana Arougheti contributed reporting.
This story was originally published December 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM.
