Jackson County legislators reject Frank White’s ‘insulting’ $3 million tax cut
Calling it a public relations gimmick that would do little to alleviate huge hikes in residents’ overall tax bills, Jackson County legislators voted 7-1 Monday to reject County Executive Frank White’s proposed $3 million cut in what county government stands to collect in real estate taxes this year.
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” legislator Crystal Williams said. “It’s a messaging and communications game.”
But White said that’s an unfair characterization and said legislators missed a chance to provide tax relief.
“It was no gimmick at all,” he told reporters after legislators adjourned until next week. “It was just something we looked at and we said we could put $3 million back into the community and it wouldn’t hurt our 2019 budget, and that’s the reason we did it.”
The disagreement arose out of the controversy over White’s handling of the biennial reassessment process. Legislators have scorned what they see as the White administration’s failure to accurately set market values, resulting in a flood of appeals.
While most taxpayers saw increases of 15 percent or less, a third were notified that their values and, conceivably their taxes, could go up by much more. Some assessments tripled or quadrupled, setting off panic in poorer neighborhoods that saw some of the biggest increases.
Higher assessments don’t necessarily mean that someone’s taxes will go up by that same percentage. The tax levies that cities, school districts and other tax-collecting agencies set help determine that.
Other than the Kansas City school district, all those taxing districts are required by state law to reduce their levies in a reassessment year so they don’t get a big revenue windfall at taxpayers’ expense when the real estate market drives property values up.
This year, local governing bodies across Missouri have to roll back their levies to where they would receive no more than a 1.9 percent increase in revenue from existing properties. New buildings and improvements are exempt from that calculation.
White proposed last week that Jackson County roll back its levy even more to help taxpayers who were hit by big increases in their market values. But legislators mocked the move and the messaging.
White said the cut would shave $21.61 off the tax bill of someone living in a $100,000 home. But that assumes that the house didn’t increase in value when most did. And critics said any savings would be erased by increased taxes from other governments.
“You’re slapping people in the face, it’s so insulting,” legislative chairwoman Theresa Galvin told White before the legislature rejected his proposal. Legislators then passed a non-binding resolution requesting that he throw out the 2019 reassessment numbers and restore values to 2018 levels.
The county counselor’s office says White does not have that power. And even if he did, it would be too late because state law requires that tax levies be set by Oct. 1.
“The ship has sailed,” assistant county counselor Jay Haden said.
In addition to Williams and Galvin, legislators Scott Burnett, Tony Miller, Dan Tarwater, Jalen Anderson and Charlie Franklin voted down White’s tax cut. Jeannie Lauer was absent.
White kept quiet for nearly all of the testy public discussion. Afterwards he spent several minutes speaking with legislator Ron Finley, who alone voted to approve the lower tax levy that White had proposed.
Addressing reporters outside the legislative chamber, White defended his proposed tax cut and said he wished legislators had been able to separate his tax cut proposal from their concerns over the assessment process.
“They didn’t understand what that was all about,” he said. “It had nothing to do with the property assessment. It was something we could do from a county standpoint, roll back our taxes. We put money back into each taxpayer’s pocket. Even though it’s not abundant money, it’s $3 million back into the community.”
Tax bills go out in November. The Board of Equalization continues to hear assessment appeals, which could continue even after tax payments are due at the end of the year.
This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 5:15 PM.
