As the state legislative session began yesterday, state Senator Cary Tyson says one of her main concerns for the upcoming year is to figure out how to be more transparent when it comes to property taxes. She says there are ways to fix the issue. One way is to change the way the mill levy is calculated so the same dollar amount is collected as the previous year. To increase property tax dollar amounts, the governing body would have to announce a meeting where public officials would vote on an increase. She says this would require public officials to vote on property tax increases instead of raising valuations, which automatically raise property taxes. She reminds taxpayers that Kansas in not trying to reinvent the wheel, but use proven methods used in other states.
Tyson noted that there are other proposed changes that could help, such as allowing an option for an arbitrator to oversee the first step in the appeals process; putting an estimated dollar amount for your property tax on the valuation sheet; and excluding maintenance from increasing the valuation of your property.
