Missouri Auditor finds Jackson County property assessment process a 'catastrophic failure'

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick conducted an audit of Jackson County's 2023 property assessment process. The audit report described the process as a "catastrophic failure" and gave the Jackson County Assessment Department a "poor" rating. The report noted that notification issues alone were sufficient to invalidate assessment increases exceeding 15%.

The audit exposes systemic failures in the local tax and assessment process within Jackson County. These findings necessitated state intervention to protect taxpayers from the process, which trampled on their rights.