The failure of the Kansas Legislature to deliver property tax relief this year after promising voters it was its “#1 priority” at the dawn of the 2025 session has saddled taxpayers with another year of increased property valuations and local government coffers overflowing with revenue.
The annual compensation survey of state and local government employees produced by the Kansas Policy Institute (KPI), owners of The Sentinel, shows why cities, counties, and school districts fight property tax reform. The table below includes some of the largest pay increases awarded in 2024 to select local government employees in Johnson County, based on Open Records requests.
County Manager Penny Postoak got an 8% pay increase and was paid $376,000. Deputy County Manager Julie Karins’ pay also increased nearly 8%, to $278,000 and Assistant County Manager Joseph Conner received a 20% pay increase to $268,000.
Some of the largest pay increases in Overland Park exceed 20%, including Assistant City Manager Katharine Gunja, whose 22% pay increase raised her compensation to about $216,000.
A complete list of county employees and city employees is posted at KansasOpenGov.org. There are also overtime listings for both categories. Some employee compensation may include payouts of unused sick leave and vacation pay.
Oversized employee pay increases are partially made possible by hefty property tax increases on Johnson Countians.
Overland Park City Council members have perhaps the worst track record, having increased property tax revenue by almost 500% since 1997; with inflation at 85% and a 46% population increase, elected officials imposed tax increases that are nearly four times greater than inflation plus population.
Other large increases among Johnson County cities include Leawood (342%, 2.9 times inflation plus population), Lenexa (283%, 2.1 times), Merriam (286%, 3.9 times), and Olathe (456%, 2.8 times).
Property taxes are also higher because Kansas is massively over-governed, with 38% more local government employees per capita than the national average; only Wyoming is worse. The table below shows Kansas in the unenviable position of having the second-most local government employees per capita in the nation.
This is the first in a series of reports examining the relationship between property tax hikes and large pay increases for local government employees.
