Homeowners Are Bracing Themselves
According to Fox4KC.com, “Homeowners are bracing themselves in the Kansas City School District for a big increase in their tax bills after the school board decided on Wednesday to keep all of the money from an increase in Jackson County property values.”
“Property owners face an average increase of 23 percent in their school taxes for 2020.”
“Because of the surge in property values following Jackson County’s reappraisal, Kansas City Public Schools now are projected to collect nearly $7 million more than the school board anticipated receiving when members planned the district’s budget for next year.”
The Board Unanimously Voted to Use All of the Extra Money
“However, instead of giving that money back to homeowners by reducing its tax rate, the board unanimously voted to use all of the extra money to add 10 more pre-K classrooms and spend about $4 million on capital projects.”
Manny Abarca, school board treasurer, seemed to shrug when he said “…rolling back the windfall to match the schools’ budget would have reduced taxes on a $100,000 home by less than $40.” I would ask who has a $100,000 house anymore. And that is on top of other family costs are going up like health care and with the failure of the harvests in the Midwest, food prices.
Abarca said public schools need to make up for tax reductions during the recession of 2008. He said schools currently face about $450 million in deferred maintenance.
Homeowners Are Bracing Themselves
A local realtor and representative from the Blue Springs Board of Equalization, both also school district representatives, are teaming up to present four proposals with plans to lower property values.
Four Proposals
Proposal A: That the Jackson County Board of Equalization roll back all commercial and residential values to 2017 values, with the exception of new construction of property conversions.
Proposal B: That the Jackson County Board of Equalization set a cap on all commercial and residential assessments countrywide at an 8 percent increase over the 2017 values, with the exception of new construction or property conversions.
Proposal C: That the Jackson County Board of Equalization set an increase of 6 percent above the 2017 assessed values for 65,000 residential and commercial parcels that border Independence Avenue on the North, Blue Ridge Cutoff on the East, 85th Street and the Grandview Triangle to the South, Troost Avenue to the West and includes the Westside neighborhood, with the exception of new construction improvements or property conversions.
Proposal D: That the Jackson County Board of Equalization set a cap on all commercial and residential assessments countywide at14.9 percent increase over the 2017 values, with the exception of new construction or property conversions.
Schools Are Under Pressure
I know that schools are under pressure with costs rising and buildings aging, but you have to ask if the department is poorly funded and poorly managed as some claim.
Warning: There are numerous examples across the country where voters had had enough and voted for property tax limitations. That same solution could be put to the test here in Missouri with the unsympathetic attitude shown by Manny Abarca, school board treasurer. Many U.S. residents just can’t afford to live here anymore.
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