Tax & Spending

Will Gov. Kelly’s tax council reward government over families?0
- Tax & Spending
- September 12, 2019
There’s a good chance Governor Kelly’s new tax council will recommend exactly what she wants, more tax increases to support another record-setting budget. These appointed special interests on the council may focus more on increasing their share of the taxpayer dollar pie at the expense of Kansas families looking to earn a living. Keep in
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Local government property tax data shows opportunity for savings 0
- Tax & Spending
- September 10, 2019
Property taxes assessed for the operation of local government totaled $2.7 billion in 2018 and significant differences in per-resident amounts across the counties indicate large savings opportunities – if the political will exists to take advantage. As we wrote last month, the $2.7 billion for the operation of local government consumes the largest portion of
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Poor feel the bite of Gov. Kelly’s windfall veto 0
- Tax & Spending
- September 3, 2019
Governor Kelly twice vetoed legislation that would have prevented a tax increase on roughly 90,000 Kansans. The Kansas City Star claimed the windfall veto necessary as it “would help wealthier Kansans but would do little for poorer residents.” But data from the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) shows lower-income Kansans had a higher tax increase
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Budget deficit remains as recession fears grow 0
- Tax & Spending
- August 26, 2019
In mid-August, a national warning sign flashed red, sparking stock market turmoil and possibly suggesting the next U.S. recession is roughly two years away. If true, then Kansas’s government is woefully unprepared given its $1 billion-plus deficit. Headlines reported an inverted yield curve**, where the interest rates (yield) on short-term bonds are higher than interest rates paid
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Local gov’t. has biggest share of $3 billion property tax hike 0
- Tax & Spending
- August 19, 2019
Of the nearly $3 billion increase in property tax between 1997 and 2018, the largest share, about $1.7 billion, was consumed by local government entities (cities, counties, townships, and other local taxing districts. Education accounted for the next largest increase, of about $1.3 billion, which is mostly K-12 and community colleges. The data comes from
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Kansas Tax Increase Unfairly Burdens The Poor 0
- Tax & Spending
- August 12, 2019
The fall in consumer spending has local officials puzzled; there’s a reason why Kansans are buying fewer things at the register. Not surprisingly, counties with declines in consumer shopping also have hiked property taxes. Couple that with the state income tax increase, and the collective tax burden on Kansas families (especially low-income) has increased by
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