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PROPERTY VALUES. >> NOTHING IN THE COMMERCIAL DATA MAKES ANY SENSE AT ALL. NOTHING DOES. WILLIAM: CURTIS KOONS WAS JACKSON COUNTY’S DIRECTOR OF ASSESSMENT 7 YEARS AND HAD THE SAME ROLE IN CASS COUNTY FOR 11. NOW, HE HELPS APPEAL VALUES FOR PEOPLE. >> I’VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS. I’VE LOOKED AT THE RESIDENTIAL. I’VE LOOKED AT THE COMMERCIAL. THERE’S MORE WRONG THAN RIGHT. WILLIAM: EMAILS BETWEEN COUNTY AND STATE OFFICIALS SHOW THE ASSESSOR’S OFFICE HAD 30 APPRAISER JOBS, COULD ONLY FILL 17 AND ONLY 4 STATE CERTIFIED APPRAISERS WORKED ON RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENTS. >> I THINK THAT THERE’S JUST NOT ADEQUATE STAFF. WILLIAM: THE LAW ALLOWS THE ASSESSOR TO LET ANYONE TO DO APPRAISALS, NOT JUST THO CERTIFIED. >> LEGALLY YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BUT ABSOLUTELY YOU SHOULD. WILLIAM: KOONS SAYS HE HAD PROBLEMS AS ASSESSOR IN 2013 ALSO BECAUSE OF LACK O STAFFING. >> THEY DON’T HAVE THE MANPOWER TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE HOME THAT THEY’RE PLACING THE VALUE ON. WILLIAM: THE COUNTY HAS JUSTIFIED HIGH VALUES BY SAYING THE HOUSING MARKET HEATED UP. >> I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND WHERE SHE’S COMING FROM THAT SHE WANTS TO GET EVERYTHING TO MARKET VALUE, BUT THIS ISN’T MARKET VALUE. WILLIAM: 14,000 PEOPLE ARE APPEALING TO THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION AND AROUND 22,000 FILED INFORMAL REVIEWS WITH THE ASSESSOR’S OFFICE, WHICH IS HANDLING THEM MOSTLY OVER THE PHONE. >> YOU CAN’T JUST IGNORE THE OVERWHELMING SWELL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SAYING EVERYTHING IS WRONG. WILLIAM: KOONS PREDICTS PEOPLE MAY NEED TO PAY THEIR TAX BILLS UNDER PROTEST BECAUSE APPE

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Only four state-certified appraisers were working on Jackson County’s troubled assessments this year.County emails obtained by KMBC 9 News show director of assessment, Gail McCann Beatty, had 30 jobs on staff but was only able to fill 17 spots, with four being certified residential appraisers. Curtis Koons was Jackson County's director of assessment for seven years and had the same role when he was elected in Cass County for 11 years. Now, he works to appeal values for residents and companies. “Nothing in the commercial data makes any sense at all. Nothing does,” he said. "I've looked at the numbers. I've looked at the residential. I've looked at the commercial. There's more wrong than right." Koons said the lack of certified appraisers highlights the problems of short-staffing. Missouri law allows the assessor to let anyone to do appraisals, not just those certified."Legally you don't have to be but absolutely you should,” Koons said of being certified. "I think that there's just not adequate staff." Koons attributed his problems as assessor in 2013 to lack of staffing, too. "They don't have the manpower to go out and actually look at the home that they're placing the value on,” he said. The county has justified high values by saying the housing market heated up. "I absolutely understand where she's coming from that she wants to get everything to market value, but this isn't market value,” Koons said. Around 14,000 people are appealing to the county’s Board of Equalization, and around 22,000 filed informal reviews with the assessor's office, which is handling them mostly over the phone. "You can't just ignore the overwhelming swell of people that are saying everything is wrong,” Koons said. “When everybody in an area says it’s wrong, they should go out and look at it.”He predicts people may need to pay their tax bills under protest because appeals may not be finished until the middle of next year.The deadline to file with the Board of Equalization is Sept. 3, but those who have already filed an informal review will have three more weeks once the county responds to it.