For residents of Wyandotte County, Kansas it looks like the news is bad and worse.
Property owners in this fourth largest county which includes Kansas City may have dodged a bullet since 2002, the last time property tax rates increased, but they’re going to get hit this time around. Twice.
Not only did the County’s Board of Commissioners approve a 4.5 percent property tax rate increase in the 2011 budget but a number of programs are going to see drastic cuts. Everything from transit routes and Meals on Wheels to substance abuse programs and services for the mentally ill and people with developmental disabilities will be affected. Not only that, a 20 percent cut in funding will be ordered from almost every department budget according to an article in The Kansas City Star.
And that’s just this year.
Still the news isn’t 100 percent bleak.
Despite the 4.5 percent property tax rate increase, the average homeowner will likely not be out-of-pocket any more money because the assessed valuation has fallen approximately 14 percent since 2009. As for services, grants and a recent increase in sales tax will provide enough funding to fill 70 empty public safety jobs, halt employees’ mandatory furlough days and stop additional layoffs among other benefits.
As for what the future holds? No one knows for sure but those in the know are already admitting next year could be even worse unless changes are made including possibly privatizing some parts of the government and/or selling assets. Keep your fingers crossed...the times they could be a’changing.
