Clay County assessor: most large property-tax increases reflect market changes or new construction, not mistakes

Tracy Baldwin, Clay County assessor, addressed public concerns about a citizen's tax bill and offered context for recent increases in property assessments. "Large increases is one of the most, biggest problems that I've tried to correct since I was elected in 2020," Baldwin said, and she said that many large increases come from new construction or additions rather than assessor error.

Baldwin told the commission she had emailed commissioners about the specific case of a Mr. Dunn who spoke last week and that the county's records show the property's tax bill had fallen after the purchase and later rose as condition adjustments were removed. She said Mr. Dunn had filed an appeal with the board of equalization.

Baldwin said assessors across Missouri have "played catch up" in recent cycles because market values rose rapidly after the pandemic-era declines, and she estimated there are about 2,500 properties in the county with increases over 15% this year. "When you talk about a 1 year 15% increase in sales and you have to add those 2 together, you really have a 30% increase in a 2 year cycle," she said, explaining why percentage changes appear large in some cases.

Baldwin said Clay County has remained in compliance with state requirements, that some prior condition adjustments expire when properties are repaired, and that the assessor's office will review appeals filed with the board of equalization.

The commission thanked Baldwin for the prompt response and the summary; no formal action was taken during the public comment period.