Kansas lawmakers fight to lift heavy property tax burden

TOPEKA (KSNT) - With Kansas property taxes on the rise, House Democrats have presented new legislation that would lift some of that burden for homeowners.

On Wednesday, Democratic representatives presented multiple proposals to reduce property taxes.

• House Bill 2366: $54,000,000 of the state's retail sales and compensating taxes would be moved from the state's general fund to each county treasurer twice a year until 2027.
  • The amount each county receives is determined by population.

• House Bill 2364: Increased property tax exemption for residential properties to $65,000.
  • The exemption total will be adjusted based on the average percentage change in residential property value for the following 10 years.

House Democrats are also proposing a constitutional amendment which would reduce property taxes by decreasing the appraisal amount for property in Kansas.

"We can be facing a situation where people on fixed income, who have paid for their homes and lived there all their lives, can't afford to stay in those homes," Democratic Rep. John Carmichael said. "What we want to do is, we want to help those people out."

Many Kansans are frustrated with the increase after receiving this year's property tax assessments. Property taxes in Shawnee County increased 13%, and other counties saw an increase of 30%.

An upcoming community forum on the property tax debate is scheduled for March 25 at 10 a.m. in Paola, Kansas.