In December, wildfires swept through several communities in western Kansas. The high winds, storms and fires resulted in loss of life, homes and livelihoods. There has been an outpouring of help from neighbors and friends, but more help is needed. This week, the Kansas Senate Tax Committee passed a Bill Out-of-Committee that would allow the Sales Tax Exemption on fencing material purchased as a result of losses from the wildfires. The Legislature has passed similar legislation.
Senator Caren Tyson proposed an amendment to the bill that provides an option for county commissioners to abate property taxes on agriculture or commercial property destroyed in a Governor Declared Disaster. County Commissioners have an option to abate property taxes on homes, but they cannot abate property taxes on other property in a disaster. Only one Senator expressed concern about it because it might decrease K-12 funding from the 20 MIL Property Tax. However, Senator Tyson says she asked him if he could imagine losing all the property and still having to pay taxes on it as if it wasn’t destroyed. The Amendment passed unanimously.
