EDITOR:
Everything in this article is going to be ‘my opinion only.’
A little appraisal humor for Weston that I have picked up: The appraisers appraised a brick building on Main Street that was covered in tin with a brick pattern.
In another example, not knowing how the tough live, one business with no air conditioning was unknown by the appraisers. There are probably more than these two stories.
In Platte County, Weston and Dearborn were never comparable to Parkville or Platte City. Of course in 1968, Platte City and Weston were very comparable in size. That in itself tells you a little about Weston.
Many of the town folk never wanted Weston to explode and grow a great deal. That in itself could be a sign of lack of leadership, as it leads to a few paying a larger share of city expenses due to lack of annexation (for protection) and helping to spread the load on an ever-expanding cost of doing business.
The Hancock Amendment, around for a good while, may be Weston’s saving grace. I believe Hancock was a very intelligent Republican who was able to see down the road.
Weston is a tourist town which makes it a museum for many tourists. Nothing wrong with that as tourism fairly much saved Main Street in Weston. Keep in mind that according to most city figures, sales tax dollars generated in Weston come from roughly 25% downtown and 75% from the Hwy. 45 corridor. That in itself should tell you, as a wise individual and the city itself, where survival lies. How many businesses lie a stone’s throw away from the city limits. That also should tell the city leadership where problems start and why.
A Platte City mayor once told me that Platte City did not want to be like Weston, maybe some merit there.
With the appraisals on Weston city real estate, how far away is the assessor from taking a stab at Platte County agricultural land prices? The assessor’s office had all it could do dealing with towns this year.
Many investors come to Weston for their pre-retirement years. They may pay too much for their investment because they have it. It very seldom shows a true picture of what a building is worth. In this case, they might have been ‘fleeced’ by the assessor’s office and what something sells for. We are all living in a time when every thing we buy costs too much. I am sure that the assessor’s office knows how this works in the other direction.
For the time being, this assessor mess can probably be fixed best in Jefferson City. It certainly isn’t going to get fixed in Platte City.
You have a governor who is a little receptive to change, you have a state representative that promotes 15% increases verses 200% increases, and you have a state senator who can certainly be contacted. Later you have elections.
Not every thing is equal in the assessor business. It you watch the news at all you see the problems in Jackson County and their deadline for appeals was extended to July 31. You also saw how Platte County assessor’s office approached that announcement.
Worth noting, my opinion only with brick buildings bricks were supposed to be able to breathe. Yesterday I drove around Platte City and I found many brick buildings that could breathe. In Weston’s down town and antebellum homes I found may brick buildings that couldn’t breathe even if an accessor thinks they look pretty. I personally think that a painted brick building should have an assessment rolled back from $50,000-$100,000
Difference in opinions, I suppose. Difference in towns, I suppose. Weston bricks were made on site and are soft bricks made by slaves.
--Louis Smither
Weston
