Jackson County Legislature fails to override veto of property-assessment rollback ordinance

The Jackson County Legislature on April 21 failed, 5-4, to override the county executive's veto of Ordinance 59,58, a measure that would have limited property-assessment increases to 15% and directed county action to roll back 2023 assessment increases in line with a State Tax Commission order.

The bill's defeat leaves the county executive's veto in place. Supporters of the ordinance framed it as emergency relief for homeowners after what they described as an unlawful reassessment process in 2023; opponents said the ordinance lacked an implementation plan and raised legal and fiscal risks for the county and other taxing jurisdictions.

Legislator Megan L. Marshall, who spoke against the override, described the 2023 assessment process as “flawed, confusing, chaotic, and most times deeply unfair,” and said the ordinance “does…