Property Tax Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

Kansas lost 4,000 private jobs, added 8,500 gov’t. jobs in 2Q 0
- Tax & Spending
- July 20, 2021
4,000 private-sector jobs were lost in Kansas during the 2nd quarter of 2021, but 8,500 government jobs were added at the same time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local units of government – mostly cities, counties, and school districts – added 6,000 jobs; state agencies and universities added 2,600, and federal jobs declined
READ MORE
2021 Green Book: Kansas is massively over-governed 0
- Tax & Spending
- June 12, 2021
Kansas has some of the highest property taxes in the nation, largely because we are massively over-governed. Kansas has 1,993 general purpose governments – cities, counties, and townships – serving about 2.9 million people. That works out to 1,461 residents per government entity, whereas the national average is 8,448 per entity, and that’s the third-worst
READ MORE
Truth in Taxation is a model for legislative change 0
- Tax & Spending
- April 26, 2021
Forcing local officials to be honest about the entire property tax increase they impose will save taxpayers hundreds of millions over time because city council members and county commissioners know they won’t stay in office if they vote for the big increases they quietly imposed in the past. My recent joint column with my colleague
READ MORE

COVID pandemic creates opportunities for tax relief 0
- Tax & Spending
- February 28, 2021
As state and local officials work through budget-related COVID pandemic challenges, they should pay heed to Benjamin Franklin’s counsel – “out of adversity comes opportunity.” In this case, the opportunity is finding more efficient uses for taxpayer dollars and then providing permanent state and local tax relief. The amount that states and local entities tax
READ MORE
Council on Tax Reform paves the way for Kelly’s next income tax hike 0
- Tax & Spending
- January 31, 2021
Governor Laura Kelly knows it would be political suicide to propose an income tax hike ahead of her re-election effort, so her Council on Tax Reform is paving the way for her to do it if she’s re-elected. It’s all been carefully choreographed over the last two years, and the latest report from the Council
READ MORE
2021 Legislator Briefing Book also has good value for taxpayers 0
- Tax & Spending
- January 14, 2021
Our 2021 Legislator Briefing Book is designed to give legislators and taxpayers a quick-reference guide that provides background and perspective on state spending, tax facts, economic conditions, and K-12 education. It’s all government data, but much of it is hard to find. And the data often contradicts what you’ve heard from media and government officials. READ MORE