Tag: Truth in Taxation
Elected officials use residential valuation spike to hide property tax increases
The Wyandotte County 2023 budget presentation touts a half-mill reduction as property tax “savings” and “tax relief,” but in reality,…
Shawnee City Council overrules mayor, staff in property tax increase
A new conservative majority on the Shawnee City Council flexed its muscle and recently approved a cut of two mills…
Big property tax hikes proposed by most officials in Johnson County
As if past property tax increases that far exceed the change in inflation and population aren’t bad enough, most elected…
Overland Park Mayor Skoog, staff pushing for (another) 10% property tax hike
Overland Park taxpayers could see their property taxes jump 9.7% for fiscal 2023 — on top of a 10.4% jump…
City of Shawnee votes to make housing more expensive
While the Legislature and Governor Laura Kelly were working in a bipartisan fashion to address issues with affordable rural housing,…
Small Kansas counties lead the way on spending control
Good things do come in small packages…like taxpayer-friendliness and accountability. Amid the public outcry over ever-increasing property tax bills, several…
“Truth in Taxation” helps cut property tax in 21 counties
The new Kansas law aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in local government taxing and spending decisions shows some promise…
JoCo officials setting residents up for a big property tax hike
Johnson County officials appear to be setting their residents up for a major property tax hike this year. Most residential…
Transparency works: 52% of local entities won’t increase property tax
Property tax transparency is working even better than proponents hoped, with 52% of local taxing authorities in Kansas deciding to…
Edgerton councilman resigned in protest over property tax fib
Local elected officials and bureaucrats routinely fib about property tax increases, and most often, those who know that their constituents…
Dark store theory: counties break the law, threaten residential property tax hike
Even the name — dark store theory — sounds ominous. With the willing participation of local media, some local officials…
Overland Park city council won’t be honest with citizens
Last night’s Overland Park revenue neutral hearing showed why Kansans support the new Truth in Taxation law. Taxpayers are fed…
Go to RNR hearings and demand lower property tax
There will be a lot of RNR hearings coming in the next four weeks where local officials will try to…
Truth in Taxation is already saving millions in property tax
Now that local officials have to be honest about the entire property tax increase they impose on residents and businesses,…
Overland Park wastes $800,000 on mini-roundabouts
The late Milton Friedman could have been thinking about the City of Overland Park when he said, “when a man…
USD 420 Osage City and Osage County may reduce property taxes
If Osage City School Board President Jay Bailey can convince a few other board members, the district may slightly decrease…
Overland Park 2022 budget: deceit and a 10% property tax hike
Overland Park residents this summer will be invited to attend the city’s first Truth in Taxation hearing where city officials…
Property taxes jump again but help is on the way
This year, many Kansas taxpayers will still see their property taxes go up, and in many cases, four to five…
Delaying property tax honesty bill implementation is bad for taxpayers
A parade of city and county officials yesterday asked the House Taxation Committee to delay implementation of the property tax…
Lawmakers fast-track SB 13 Truth in Taxation property tax bill
The Truth in Taxation transparency measure vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly last year is back as SB 13, which requires…
Kansas Reflector legislative coverage puts media bias on full display
Media bias comes in many flavors; making outright false claims, slipping editorial statements in news stories to push a political…
Cities, counties use your money to fight property tax relief
City and county officials often justify tax increases as being necessary to provide services demanded by residents. But if they…
Overland Park proposes 6% property tax increase
The City of Overland Park is proposing a 6.2% property tax hike next year, according to their proposed 2021 budget. …
Property tax reform survives efforts to scuttle the bill
Local elected officials will have to be honest about the entire property tax increase they impose starting next year. The…