Reality Check dispatch: Which KC-area county pays the highest taxes?
Editor’s note: The following is from today’s Reality Check newsletter, published weekly on Wednesdays. You can sign up here.
Hi Star readers,
It’s no secret the metro has had its fair share of drama over rising property taxes in the past few years — especially as basic living expenses are eating up a bigger share of people’s incomes, and budgets are getting tighter.
Jackson County is in a legal battle with the state. People are so frustrated they might recall the county executive.
Wyandotte County froze its property tax rate after cash-strapped residents begged for relief, even though it meant cuts to services.
And lawmakers on both sides of the state line have talked a big game about helping homeowners with their bills as the cost of living only gets higher, but haven’t done much (at least about property taxes).
Reporter Sofi Zeman crunched the numbers to paint as best a picture as possible of the property tax burden across five Kansas City counties — and to see who’s paying the most.
Also! I have an ongoing housekeeping note: We’re working on sending this newsletter out specifically to Reality Check fans who opt in. If you enjoy these weekly dispatches, make sure you’re subscribed to our dedicated Reality Check list.
If you have a question about your local government or a tip about what else we should look into, please email realitycheck@kcstar.com.
Elsewhere around the metro:
✅ A KC firefighter charged with rape and convicted of harassment got to keep his job with the Kansas City Fire Department. And he’s not the only one. The Star’s Judy Thomas takes a closer look.
✅ Surrounded by bridge closures, a famed KC-area barbecue joint says it’s “slowly dying on the vine” as frustrations mount for small business owners and residents in Wyandotte County. They say the timing of six concurrent road projects has cut them off from the metro.
✅ Recurring floods have cost an Olathe homeowner more than $15,000. A report shows that a poorly designed stormwater system is to blame, but the city says that’s not its problem.
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