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Jackson County adopts three-year tax-credit plan to compensate overassessed property owners
Summary
Jackson County Legislature perfected and adopted Ordinance 6089 on July 6, 2026 to provide tax credits spread over three years to property owners affected by 2023–24 overassessments; the county executive read a supporting letter from the State Ombudsman and members voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.
Jackson County legislators on July 6 unanimously perfected and adopted Ordinance 6089, a measure establishing a three‑year tax‑credit program to compensate property owners for assessment overpayments in 2023–24. County Executive Levota read a June 28 letter from Dan Hutton, the State Ombudsman for Property Assessment and Taxation, and urged passage so refunds or credits can reach taxpayers without destabilizing local taxing jurisdictions.
Levota said the administration will assign a credit amount to each parcel so taxpayers will know exactly what they are owed, and he described the credits as a way to avoid mailing hundreds of thousands of refund checks. "What their assessments were in '23, for example, were wrong. They were illegal and we have reduced that down," Levota said, explaining the plan ties credits to recalculated parcel amounts and will be distributed over time so taxing jurisdictions can adapt.
Legislators asked whether immediate refunds or a lump-sum return of the county's 7% share were being considered. Levota said immediate refunds could be detrimental to county and school district budgets, and that the tax credits do not require cash outlays by the county in the current year. He also confirmed mediation is scheduled this week in a related class-action lawsuit and said the county expects the court to consider the administration's approach as part of its review.
The legislature recorded roll calls to perfect (as amended June 15) and then to adopt the ordinance; both votes were recorded as unanimous. Members said parcel-level credit amounts will be available later this year so taxing jurisdictions and residents can assess the program's financial impact.
