KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) – Thousands of Jackson County residents are frustrated as county officials say there will be no refunds on their 2023 property tax assessment.

County leaders said the money had already been spent. This came after the state tax commission ordered the county to correct the tax assessment. On Monday, county leaders defended the tax assessment and said they had done nothing wrong.

Laura Carey, a Lee’s Summit resident, is devastated because she has spent the last year fighting the county. Her property taxes went up 69 percent, and because of that, her mortgage increased by about $500 a month.

“It frustrates me,” Carey said. “But I’m going to keep fighting.”

She is afraid of losing the home where she raised her five children.

“A decision that you would never have made before is now on the table,” Carey said. “When you’re retired and on a fixed income, you can’t spend more money. You can’t work overtime. You have to figure out what you’re doing.”

Carey believes the county is trying to buy time, although he claims it is for political reasons.

“I think it’s Frank White and McCann Beatty trying to cover their asses for what they did; this is not political at all.”

She hopes that the state will hold local politicians accountable.

“I hope the STC will ensure that Jackson County does not defer payment but rolls it back to 2022 and only adds 15%. Do I expect a refund? No. Do I want a credit? Sure,” Carey said.

Like thousands of others, she is waiting skeptically for this next assessment.

“It’s very depressing. It’s very frustrating. There are a lot of people; I know a lot of people who have sold their homes and left the country. There’s a lot to think about,” Carey said.

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