GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
Carol and I enjoyed attending the Rosa Parks Black History Banquet last week at Seward County Community College. Congratulations to the scholarship winners and thanks to all the people that contributed and work so hard to put it on every year.
HB 2745 - Restoring Accountability in Property Taxes Passes House
We all know the property tax issues in Seward County this year, which are among the issues that prompted passage of House Bill 2745. The most important reform in this bill is the protest petition process. If a local government adopts a budget that exceeds a 3 percent increase in dollars collected from property taxes, citizens have 30 days to respond to petition. The petition will be drawn up and available in the County Treasurer’s office. If qualified voters equal to at least 5 percent of the votes cast for the office of Secretary of State in the most recent general election within that taxing district sign a protest petition, the budget must be reduced back to the allowable limit. That requirement ensures the threshold reflects actual voter participation, not arbitrary numbers. It ties the standard directly to turnout in a real statewide election.
This is not about tying the hands of local officials. It is about restoring balance. If a taxing authority believes it needs to grow beyond the limit, it should be prepared to defend that decision to the people who are paying the bill. That is how representative government is supposed to work. This bill sets a clear and reasonable guardrail. Local taxing jurisdictions may increase property tax revenues by up to 3 percent over the prior year, along with adjustments for new construction, changes in property use, expiring abatements, and voter approved bonds. Those are legitimate growth factors, and the bill accounts for them. What this legislation prevents is excessive increases beyond that threshold without direct accountability to the local taxpayers.
The bill also replaces the complicated revenue neutral rate process with clearer property tax estimate notices. Taxpayers will continue to receive detailed information about their property values and the limits applicable to each taxing jurisdiction. Transparency remains, but in a more understandable and streamlined form. I understand that some local governments expressed concern about budgeting flexibility. I take those concerns seriously. But I also believe that discipline drives better decision-making. When growth is measured and predictable, local leaders can prioritize essential services, eliminate waste, and plan responsibly.
HB 2745 is now heading to the Senate. The Senate this week passed their own property tax legislation in the form of a constitutional amendment limiting valuation increases. I have serious concerns with this solution. Limiting valuations by itself does not cap property tax increases. Valuation caps have been been ineffective in other states — distorting the free market, creating unequal taxation among taxpayers, and favoring some property classes over others. The constitution is difficult to amend for a reason and hard to correct if bad policy gets in it. Both the House and Senate will continue working together the remainder of the session to reach a compromise that truly delivers real, long-term property tax relief that can overcome a likely veto from Governor Kelly. I am committed to getting this done and getting it done right.
HB 2434 - Budget bill passes House
Kansas spending is up 60 percent over the last seven years, due in large part to the federal funds dispersed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that those federal funds are no longer coming into Kansas, the Legislature needs to rein in its spending and maintain a responsible approach to the budget process. The current fiscal year runs until the end of June. The budget approved by the House this week cuts over $215 million from the current fiscal year and reduces that number another $122 million for fiscal year 2027. That’s over $337 million cut out of the budget while still funding core services, fully funding education, and our state highway program.
The K–12 education budget is the single largest budget item accounting for around half of all state general fund spending, more than $5 billion in this budget. This is in addition to what we pay locally in property taxes.
Key actions in the budget included:
• Reappropriating $109 million from 2026 re-enrollment funds after updated enrollment projections showed the full amount was unnecessary
• Moving $120 million tied to CPI-U inflation adjustments into the 2027 general fund, aligning projected increases with actual fiscal timing
• Adding $10 million to Special Education State Aid to bring the total from State General Funds to $621 million
• Increasing the Safe and Secure Schools Grant by $5 million, structured as a dollar-for-dollar matching program to require local cost participation
Senate Bill 197 - Passes House
Extends the sunset on the STAR Bonds statute, and provides additional guardrails for their use, as well as setting visitor requirements for projects funded by Star Bonds. Star bonds are a useful tool for Kansas to leverage sales tax growth to provide supplemental funding to larger projects that are designed to drive tourism. They are designed to bring new money into our state that would have otherwise been spent in other states. This bill ensures that STAR Bonds are being used properly, and that developers cannot cannibalize sales tax revenues to fund projects that won't benefit Kansas.
• The bill strictly defines that STAR Bonds can only be used for projects that promote economic growth through tourism.
• Tourism is measured by the origin of the visitors, and eligibility for a STAR Bonds project requires that 20 percent of the visitors come from out of state, and 30 percent from visitors residing at least 100 miles away.
• If the project fails to meet the tourism requirements, the developers are prohibited from participating in any future STAR Bonds project.
• Counties and cities are barred from using eminent domain to acquire land for any STAR Bonds projects.
