Jackson County adds last second resources to help homeowners appeal their tax assessments

Jackson County assessment office will host a workshop to help more residents file an appeal on their 2023 property tax assessments on Saturday, July 29, just days before the July 31 appeal deadline. The county also announced that it is expanding capacity of its call center to assist people with their appeals over the phone.

Jackson County assessors anticipated property owners would see an average increase of 30%, but many owners have reported significantly higher margins. Since 2019, the county has been working to bring its assessments up to market value after admittedly undervaluing them for years.

“More properties in Jackson County are at market value than we have had in decades. That doesn’t mean that every parcel is correct and that is the very reason we have this appeals process,” said Gail McCann Beatty, the director of the assessment office.

McCann Beatty said people who don’t know where to start should call the office at 877-895-9675 or plan to attend the workshop on July 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1300 Washington Street. Brokers will also be attending the meeting to help residents pull information on comparable homes that can be noted in their appeal application, McCann Beatty said.

The assessor’s office will also be able to field more calls and walk people through the appeals process over the phone. The actual appeal application can be found online here.

Realtors and organizers that spoke with The Star were especially concerned for older adults who may not have access to a computer. Adults who are homebound or don’t have access to a computer or the internet should call the assessor’s office at 877-895-9675.

“If a property owner feels that the assessor’s office has assessed their property value at a higher value than they can sell it for, I encourage them to file for an appeal,” Jackson County Executive Frank White said during a press conference on Thursday morning. “No one should be paying more than their fair share.”

Can I still schedule an informal meeting?

No.

The county is still conducting informal meetings, but there are no more appointments available before the Board of Equalization’s July 31 appeal deadline, McCann Beatty said at a press conference on Thursday morning. So residents should plan to file a formal appeal if they don’t agree with their property assessment.

How many appeals have been filed so far?

The Board of Equalization began appeals hearings on July 10. So far the county has received 39,000 appeals and resolved at least 7,000 cases, McCann Beatty said.

What other resources are available?

In addition to the appeals workshop and expanded call center capacity, the assessor’s office launched a fact-checking website to dispel any misinformation about the assessment process.

“The purpose of this is to make sure that when information gets out that is incorrect, that we can quickly make changes and put the correct information out there,” McCann Beatty said.