Jackson County commercial property owners react to proposed 15% assessment caps
Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota announced potential relief for commercial property owners in the county on Friday.
In a news conference, LeVota said the county is working to bring down assessments on any commercial property under $5 million whose value went up by more than 15% this year.
“The people need relief and we’re giving them relief,” LeVota said.
Ian Davis, who has owned Blip Coffee Roasters in the West Bottoms for 11 years, said his commercial property assessment increased by 626% from the previous year.
Jackson County commercial property owners react to proposed 15% assessment caps
“In this county, I mean, the volatility is just as damaging as having to pay the bill,” said Davis on Friday.
KSHB 41 has been following up with Davis since the summer.
“At the moment, I don’t have any faith in somebody else doing anything differently,” Davis told KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig in August ahead of the recall election for former Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr.
KSHB 41 local government reporter Charlie Keegan asked LeVota if relief for residential assessments from 2023 was on the radar.
“We’re not done. Residential is next,” LeVota said. “This won’t be the first time we will act. We will keep acting,”
Davis was invited to Friday’s news conference. He was optimistic overall, but shared his concerns, too.
“We don’t know if this is forever, we also definitely don’t know if it’s the right solution,” Davis said. “Local budgets for libraries, schools, and fire departments are already set on last year’s assessments, and refunds aren’t simple.”
David said he has some faith moving forward, although he knows the path to a solution could take time.
“This is a Band-Aid, not a permanent solution to this issue,” Davis said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
