Property Tax Revolt

Here are the average percent increases in 6 counties across Kansas. Note, Johnson County has by far the most information on real estate values.

Johnson County: residential – +6.38%, apartments – +11.66%, office – minus 1.61%, industrial – +4.03% – retail – +1.25%. Total value residential including apartments $108.7 billion; commercial (industrial, retail and office) $19.8 billion. Over 80% of tax base is residential.

Wyandotte County: residential +5% and commercial +3% (per Market analysis)

Crawford County: residential +4-7% and commercial 3-7% (per Market Analysis)

Sedgwick County: residential including apartments – +9.3%, Ag – minus 1.61%, commercial (industrial, retail and office) – +.0014. 78% of tax base is residential including farmstead homes.

Sherman County: residential upwards trend 2-21%, commercial upwards trend 2-14% and vacant ground general upward trend. (per Market Analysis)

Grant County: residential – increase of 3-7%, commercial stable no change. (Per Market Analysis)

The following is the testimony that I submitted for March 9^th Senate hearing for SB 488. I used a few of the responses you sent on your individual increases in valuation in my testimony:

Where to begin in describing what is and has been happening all over Kansas: property taxes exploding to the point of being a taking of OUR property. Basically, since passing the Reclassification and Equalization constitutional amendment in 1986, the same year as the Economic Development constitutional amendment (decimating our property tax base) We The People have become almost numb to the annual ritual of rising valuations, which in turn increase our property taxes EVERY YEAR. We did have a brief reprieve after the 2008 meltdown of the real estate market, but beginning in 2019 the increase in our valuations/property taxes have given rise to the cry across the state, STOP!!! We can’t afford this!!!

So, what to do? SB 488 is the beginning of the conversation as to how to dismantle our property tax behemoth which brings tyranny to all property owners, unless sheltered under tax incentives as is the Chinese Company, CNANO, in New Century AirCenter. How do we replace the revenue, how do we put in place accountability for our local taxing entities, which are all subdivisions of the state?

I certainly do not have all of the answers, however, I want to report on what I am finding directly from the people as I travel across the state:

1. Our valuation increased by another 5.5% according to the county appraiser. For context, since 2023 it has now increased in total by 21%! We returned to this area in 2019 after 11 years in Illinois.Property taxes there were outrageous. However, it has been an eye opener as to what has happened in this area since we originally moved to Illinois from Overland Park in 2008.

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3. My home valuation went up 17% this year after going up 19% last year. Disgusting.

4. Last year we successfully contested our tax bill and it was reduced. However, this year it increased again and I will have to contest it again.

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6. The appraised value of our house went up from $269,300 to $284,300 this year. When we bought our house in 2000, our property taxes were about $1,200 per year; last year, they were about $3,400. I can understand a certain increase because costs for government go up with inflation just like everyone’s – but a 300% increase for the same house?

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8. Mine went up $20,000. I’ve talked to two other neighbors and theirs went up $25,000 and $31, 000. We’re all in Northern Overland Park the old part of Overland Park. We deal with this every year. I’m 67 years old. I’ve been here since 1983 in this house. It’s a little tiny two-bedroom one bath and now it’s appraised at $266,000…I’m still working full-time. I’m not gonna be able to stop working.

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10. Our property valuation went up about 10%, from 470K to 512K. We’ve done nothing to our house this past year. At the same time, we are fighting rezoning for a possible data center in our backyard which will destroy our property values. We live in Timberwolf Estates. As retirees, we are seriously thinking of moving out of state.

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12. I just opened my tax appraisal got up from the floor and it has increased from $457,500 to $484,400! It’s a shame retired people have to pay these outrageous taxes! My wife and I are 72 years old and have to dip into our retirement savings to pay our damn tax bill. 2025 was $6200.

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14. I live in western Shawnee-2024 valuation=$455600, 2025=$474800, 2026=$513600. What a scam of a system. Even if my property is worth more, that does not mean that I have more money. It means I pay more for insurance. And maintenance costs more too. After seeing this Chiefs deal play out, it strikes me that the politicians don’t even try to hide their scams anymore.

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16. Attached is the 2026 County Valuation. It comes to an 11.3% increase. 2022 was the worst at 21.2% increase. Between those years it has been high single digits. I have protested it each year but get the county’s canned reply snubbing its nose at us. I did take it all the way to the State in 2024 and the person actually decided closer to my valuation than the county’s but it is very burdensome.

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18. My property value jumped from $412,400 to $461,900. The homes used for comparison are larger than mine and have been ‘updated’ before they were sold. My humble home has not been ‘updated’ since I purchased it in 1980. It has been maintained, however. As an aging widow, the increase is scary, causing me to fear being taxed out of my longtime home.

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In Jefferson County, a family reported their 2026 valuation increased 39.79%. Another property in Miami County, a 50% increase. In western Wyandotte County, the land of Star Bond tax incentives, one homeowner reported an 18% increase in valuation and we all know as goes the valuation so go your taxes. Obviously, the promise of lower taxes from “broadening the tax base with billionaire tax incentives” has been based on a FALSE NARRATIVE and an abject FAILURE.

My main purpose today is to applaud Senator Michael Murphy in his courageous stand with the people of Kansas in working towards ending this nightmare. In Johnson County we have seen the shift in property tax revenue generated from residential increase from 47% in 1988 to currently 70% as noted on the attached graph.

This undertaking requires a multi front approach:

1. Spending must be brought under control. Please take seriously that every local taxing entity in our state is a SUBDIVISION of the state. Your responsibility.

2. Plug the holes in the tax revenue boat: end welfare for billionaires, tax incentives which lower and or exempts entities from property tax, sales tax and income tax. Let’s try equal protection under the law instead of having a two-tiered system of those who pay their fair share and those who don’t.

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4. Abolishing property taxes and back filling the NEEDED revenue must be a surcharge on sales ensconced in our state constitution with a list of exemptions. Any additional exemptions to be added only through a constitutional amendment. Making our tax base Swiss cheese with picking winners and losers, must STOP.

Again, thank you for this opportunity to testify for SB 488.

God Bless, Charlotte O’Hara Republican for Kansas Governor, 2026