KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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A plan to reform property taxes in Kansas failed after Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the most recent bill Monday.
House Bill 2043 would have allowed 10% of voters in a municipality to block that agency's budget if it exceeded the previous year's budget by three percent.
This means for the third year, Kansas did not pass meaningful property tax relief at the state level. Kelly vetoed two bills, calling them restrictive and a "false promise."
Lawmakers called Kelly's counterproposal unserious and too late in the game.
Miami County accountant Jennifer Williams has testified for property tax reform so often that lawmakers know her name.
“We have a broken system," she explained. "We’re trying to put lipstick on a pig and call it perfect.”
Olathe resident Gary Scott also expects more from lawmakers. He's researched how other states handle property taxes.
"Alaska gives you first $150,000 free on your house, so that you'd be taxed for what was above that," Scott said.
KSHB 41 News found other examples of how states handle property taxes. Indiana caps how much taxes can increase, making them more predictable.
Florida is considering getting rid of non-school property taxes.
A viewer named Joy emailed the newsroom suggesting Kansas adopt a property tax credit for seniors like the one Missouri passed.
When Williams was in Topeka, she threw her support behind Senate Bill 488. The bill would eliminate property taxes. It never made it to the Senate floor.
Within the current system, Williams likes the idea of tying tax bills to the price someone paid for a house.
"You can’t be a responsible purchaser and budget properly so that you don’t end up upside down if someone can always change your variables," Williams said.
Williams will keep working to break Kansas out of this endless cycle.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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