ANDERSON COUNTY–Anderson County area officials have been sounding the alarm about a controversial bill being considered by the Kansas Legislature. Garnett city officials tell the Anderson County Review that the bill is just another way for state government to say it’s reducing taxes while passing the burden to cities and counties. But proponents of this and other tax reduction measures claim such efforts will put more money into private hands and help stimulate the Kansas economy. The bill would change the way the state taxes machinery and equipment and is expected to offer huge property tax breaks to industrial businesses. The bill would exempt taxes on any equipment and machinery that manufactures a product and leave taxes only on the shell of the building and equipment essential for the building, such as heating and air conditioning systems. Anderson County Economic Development Director Dennis Arnold says he is very concerned that the bill would shift huge property tax burdens onto homeowners and other businesses and cause serious financial problems for counties, cities and school districts.
Updated 3/20/13 @ 10:15 pm
