KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County business owners are reporting higher than expected property value assessments.
Thursday night, commercial property owners met for a workshop led by Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith to learn more about the appeal process.
Low-income housing non-profit gets 400% increase in property value assessment
One resident told the crowd at the public workshop he received a property value assessment increase 20 times greater than in years past.
Ron Farmer, co-founder of Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services (CHES Inc.) ,a Hyde Park non-profit, is a commercial property owner astounded by a market value increase 400% higher than last year.
Jack McCormick/KSHB
“This really hits close to home,” he told KSHB 41. “This is one of the first times we’re actually navigating this process for ourselves.”
CHES Inc. is an area non-profit providing financial housing resources to low and moderate income families.
Farmer told KSHB 41 during the COVID-19 pandemic the organization gave out $17 million in federal, rent, utility, and mortgage assistance to families.
Jack McCormick/KSHB
Today, they’re facing a crisis of their own.
The non-profit was founded in 2010 and in 2013, the organization purchased a building off Gillham Plaza in Hyde Park.
The building was a dilapidated mess with animals living inside and water that poured through the roof when it rained.
Jack McCormick/KSHB
Since 2013, the organization has gradually renovated the building and it’s now its headquarters.
“We invested in the revitalization and preservation of the building and the architecture as it. We were doing it for sustainability of the organization,” Farmer explained. “We needed to invest in our own space. We felt the need to invest in the revitalization of the entire neighborhood.”
That investment meant not taking non-profit property tax breaks, according to Farmer.
Jack McCormick/KSHB
The organization has always prioritized paying its property taxes.
When the 2025 numbers came out, the organization’s central location saw a $666,600 increase from last year’s numbers.
The building’s market value is $875,400.
In 2023, that value was $52,900, according to the Jackson County website.
KSHB 41
“We understand property values will increase over time,” Farmer said. “There needs to be some sort of a time period for that kind of price increase.”
Farmer’s non-profit focused on providing home financial resources for low-income families, is having tough conversations on if those services can continue.
“We don’t want to cut services to families,” he said. “We are taking the aggressive approach in appealing this.”
Jack McCormick/KSHB
CHES Inc. owns three other properties, one sits vacant and untouched for 20 years.
It’s now being renovated.
All of those buildings also saw significant increases.
“The really bewildering part of this is, who thought this was okay?,” Farmer added.
Stacey Johnson-Cosby is a Kansas City realtor and is working alongside Legislator Smith, helping educate the public about the appeal process on Thursday night.
Jack McCormick/KSHB
“They need to have data. They need to be able to convince someone. It’s almost like going into a court of law,” Johnson-Cosby told KSHB 41 about the appeal process.
Johnson-Cosby says owners must have as much data and information showing a property is not valued accurately to earn an appeal.
“A lot of stories from nonprofits who actually offer services to our communities where their their tax amount is going to go up so high, they’re not going to be able to perform,” she said. “What are they going to do? Are they going to have to shut down, and we lose those services. And we’re also hearing from businesses that will not be able to operate with the increase in cost. The wrong assessments, the incorrect figures on these assessments, are going to have a devastating ripple effect.”
Jack McCormick/KSHB
Farmer fears for other business owners and who will end up paying for the inflated prices. He suspects consumers will ultimately be the most impacted.
“Who thought this was okay, especially to hit businesses, especially when they’re trying to prepare for World Cup, have storefronts open, this is going to really impact the ability for businesses to operate,” Farmer said.
CHES Inc. is considering what’s next while navigating federal funding cuts.
Farmer told KSHB 41 he understands the market value may dictacte the actual property’s price.
He simply is asking for consideration as a commercial property owner who will need to come up with the money to pay for potential tax increases.
“Doing this all at one time, as opposed to stair stepping it, that’s the part that doesn’t make sense,” he added.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
