A judge has ruled in favor of the City of Garnett regarding the appeal by the East Central Energy ethanol plant concerning what and how much the plant will pay in property tax. District Court Judge Eric Godderz ruled in favor of a 2018 decision by the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals that defined which buildings and equipment at the plant are designated as real estate as opposed to personal property. EKAE appealed the Board of Tax Appeals decision to District Court in November of 2018. The company has paid its taxes under protest since the initial finding of its valuation was made, but local governments have made continual budget considerations knowing at some point they might have to refund a portion of that tax revenue.
Plant officials argued that certain assets should be considered personal property and assessed as such, which would have brought the value down to $7 million. Officials at the plant say they are unsure if they will continue the appeal process.
