KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues surrounding government accountability, solutions and consumer advocacy. Share your story with Isabella.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County officially adopted its 2026 budget for the county and the city of Kansas City, Kansas. But it didn't pass without stirring up some concern in the community.
Under the new budget, property taxes in the city and the county will be going up.
"Why are you raising the taxes and I'm already struggling?" asked Bishop C.H. Liggins with Renewed Hope House of Worship in Kansas City, Kansas.
Bishop Liggins hears these concerns from his church members every week. Just two weeks before the deadline, Wyandotte County voted to raise the mill rate by 1.5 in the city and by 2 in the county.
"It's going to be a domino effect," Liggins said. "Every aspect of Wyandotte County is going to feel this."
Those community concerns are why Mayor Tyrone Garner vetoed the budget on Monday night, asking commissioners to find more cost-saving measures and dedicate more time to the process.
"The government should not be here to support its [own] needs and its wants and desires," Mayor Garner said. "We've got to do a better job of streamlining, finding efficiencies, operating with more innovation and letting our residents see where their tax dollars are actually going."
The Board of Commissioners overruled the Mayor's veto, sticking with the budget with property tax hikes.
For a home valued in the county at $200,000, the yearly increase would be about $56. In Kansas City, Kansas, the increase on a $200,000 house would be about $35 a year.
County leaders stated on Monday night the property mill increase would bring in about $16 million to the general fund.
“The budget is so tight this year that we are recommending that we dip into the fund balance a small amount with the administrators’ budget,” Chief Financial Officer Dr. Shelley Kneuvean said.
Leaders told KSHB 41 News the budget is tight this year because the county lost out on $14 million from remaining revenue neutral last year. If there's not additional funding coming in this year, that could threaten public safety services.
"Tell people exactly what's going to get better," Liggins said. "Tell the people exactly what we're going to have to reduce from."
But after more than a dozen budget meetings, neighbors are still feeling confused with what the money is going toward.
"Our reputation, unfortunately, in Wyandotte County, is that the roads are challenging," Liggins said. "Would this better our roads? Would this better our schools?"
WYCO staff stated at Monday night's meeting the budget for road repairs doubled this year and the BPU PILOT rate was lowered by 2% to 9.9%. Liggins hopes there will be more accountability with how his tax money is spent.
"I don't think they've been transparent enough," Liggins said. "Most of the people that I talk to, they cannot specifically tell me what's going to be better by them increasing the taxes."
