THANK YOU to all who wrote in to your legislators, and all those who were able to show up in person this morning!!! It is because of you – and only you – that we ALL get to celebrate.
So what happened?
The Jackson County Assessor reclassified any STR she could find from residential (19%) to commercial (32%) – yes, even though most STRs are in a residential zone. There was a sub-committee (of 4 legislators) meeting at 9am this morning where they could listen to the assessor (who seemed to have unlimited time) and then our testimony. We only had ONE fast little minute per person – but somehow we did it! I’m still shaking – it was amazing! Our voices actually mattered, and that felt like a huge win. That sub-committee then made their recommendation to the full body of 9 legislators to vote on at 11am. All 7 legislators who were present voted YES (2 were absent)!!
So what did we win?
Sean Smith introduced an ordinance to pause the commercial reclassification until the county implements a way for all STR’s in the county to register. Currently, they cannot fairly implement it across all STR’s in Jackson County as only cities requiring a permit have a way to identify their STRs. A few other points the legislators seemed influenced by were:
We were not given any advance notice. Due process was just not there.
Our 1 page ‘letter’ notifying us of our change in classification does not give us a way to contest the re-classification. (It mentions how to appeal the value – but not how to appeal being suddenly changed to commercial.)
Our taxes started accumulating Jan 1. We weren’t notified of a change in our classification until June, 6 months into the year. Since we were not notified ahead of time, there was no way for any of us to make a conscious decision to continue to operate or not. (And we certainly didn’t budget for thousands of extra dollars to be paid in taxes 5 months from now!)
So where do we go from here?
Well – we don’t fully know yet. Hopefully those answers will be coming soon. Sean recommends anyone impacted should file an appeal (by following the process on your assessors letter for disputing the value). Who knows if the assessor will take action or not – I wouldn’t depend on that. By filing your appeal, you will meet with the BOE (who I’m told are usually nice normal people) – this is a good back-up plan in case the assessor doesn’t follow through for us.
On Wednesday June 18th, the Jackson County Legislature passed Ordinance 5987, requiring the Jackson County Assessor to postpone the re-classification of short-term rental properties from residential to commercial until a full registration and reporting system can be established county-wide. Shortly after the Legislature’s vote, County Executive Frank White issued a press release indicating he would support the legislation, attached.
The speakers did a great job this morning, and you can watch a recording of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on the County Calendar, here. Meeting minutes and the recording of the meetings are posted 24 hours after the meeting takes place, and they can also be watched live at the scheduled time.
Legislator Sean Smith has suggested that if you do not receive a new property notice before July 10th with reclassification to residential, then it is advisable to file an appeal specifically to dispute the property classification. He has made a YouTube video explaining how to file such an appeal, here.
Additionally, if you know anyone that needs help interpreting their 2025 residential assessment notices, you can refer them to this video where he explains residential increases this cycle as well as the senior tax credit program.
Lastly, if you know any small businesses that should be classified commercially and are experiencing an extremely high increase from 2024 to 2025, please share the attached announcement. This is strictly for business owners that are classified commercially and need help appealing.
Thank you for your correspondence with Sean Smith’s office on the topic of short-term rentals and for voicing your concerns on this legislation.
Sincerely,
Ashley Al-Shawish
Legislative Aide
Office: 816-881-3274
Cell: 913-827-8028
Office of Sean Smith, 6th District Jackson County Legislator
Jackson County Commercial Property Tax Appeals Workshop
Tax Appeals Training
Emergency Ordinance Aims to Delay STR Tax Reclassification in Jackson County
An emergency ordinance is expected to be introduced Monday by Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith in response to rising concerns over property tax reclassifications affecting short-term rental (STR) owners.
The proposed measure seeks to temporarily halt the Jackson County Assessor’s practice of reclassifying STR properties from residential to commercial, a change that has significantly increased tax bills for many property owners. If passed, the ordinance would prevent further reclassifications for at least one to two years, extending beyond the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Kansas City is set to host.
Supporters of the ordinance highlight several key points:
Timing Concerns – Critics argue that enforcing reclassifications before the World Cup could disrupt local STR operations, many of which are preparing to accommodate out-of-town visitors during the global event.
Legal Uniformity – The ordinance cites Article X of the Missouri Constitution, which requires taxes to be “uniform upon the same class or subclass of subjects.” Because Jackson County lacks a countywide registration system for STRs, enforcement is inconsistent—affecting only those properties identified through municipal permitting in cities like Kansas City, Missouri.
Lack of Oversight – The Jackson County Assessor is not an elected official, which limits public recourse. Proponents argue that legislative action is the only viable path to pause the reclassifications and allow time for potential statewide policy changes.
The ordinance is expected to draw strong interest from property owners and short-term rental operators across the county.
Short Term Rental Owners Asked To Show Up in Support June 9th
🗓 Monday, June 9, 2025
🕒 3:00 PM
📍 Jackson County Courthouse – 2nd Floor
415 E 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64106
👥 Show up in person to support Sean Smith’s emergency ordinance to delay commercial reclassifications until after the World Cup.
📬 Contact Your Legislator
Use this link to find and contact your Jackson County legislator:
🔗 https://www.jacksongov.org/Government/County-Legislature
📢 Be sure to email or call:
Your district legislator
Legislature Chair DaRon McGee
Sean Smith is our supporter, so we don’t need to reach him except to voice our support
📝 Share your personal story. Real-life examples carry real weight.
🖥️ Join the Webinar on June 17th from MOVHA
what to do with the information
why you should appeal
how to file your appeal
what to say at the BOEZoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kzWM1CBWT2qGOYl8pgRERg?
📬 Support Missouri Vacation Home Alliance MOVHA
Missouri Vacation Home Alliance worked to introduce HB 1086 this past legislative session which would have prevented all of this. But it did not get passed. We need EVERYONE’s support next legislative session.
Report from the Media
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