Property tax hike on the way? KCK officials are weighing their options this week
Public officials will soon decide whether the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, should entertain the idea of collecting more property tax dollars next year.
During a Thursday public meeting, Wyandotte County commissioners will vote on whether to approve a letter of intent that gives them the opportunity to increase the amount of property tax dollars that the local government asks residents and businesses to pitch in.
Those dollars would be used to fund KCK and county services, like local law enforcement, public works and the city fire department.
As of Tuesday morning, the agenda for that 5:30 p.m. meeting did not specify how much the local government would consider raising those taxes by — or whether it wanted to at all. The vote would just open up the door for a tax hike. It wouldn’t guarantee one.
Commissioners’ decision, which also includes scheduling an Aug. 24 public hearing on the matter, comes as area taxing entities are preparing to set their budgets for the 2026-27 year. All of those entities utilize local dollars to fund services like libraries, schools, roads and more.
It also comes as public comment rules have changed at the Unified Government under Mayor Christal Watson’s administration. Full commission meetings no longer have a general public comment portion unless they are required by a specific statute.
Now, people often may engage in public comment on specific agenda items during committee meetings, where officials often review decisions under consideration and make recommendations to the full board.
Any institution that plans to increase how much it collects in property taxes next year — which they are able to do as home and property values continue increasing across the county — must submit a letter of intent to the Unified Government by July 20.
Kansas City, Kansas Community College was the lone entity that had submitted a letter, as of Tuesday, according to the Unified Government Clerk’s Office. And, that letter indicated that the college did not plan to collect more in property taxes than it did last year.
“No other entities have provided information,” Clerk Monica Sparks wrote in an email.
Last month, board members governing Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools approved a letter of intent saying they did plan to collect more during the 2026-27 year.
