OLATHE, Kansas (KCTV) – Residents of Johnson County are facing higher property taxes. More than 230,000 residents received notices of possible increases over the weekend, according to county officials.

“This is about bringing more transparency to the budget process so that taxpayers can actually see the tax rates proposed by each taxing authority, view the public hearings, dates, times and locations and, if appropriate, attend them or ask the respective taxing authorities questions about their proposed tax increases and the requirements for their upcoming budgets,” said Amy Meeker-Berg, Johnson County Clerk.

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The revenue neutral tax rate is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as in the previous year based on the certified assessed value as of June 1 of the current tax year. The notices will include the dates, times and locations for public hearings to be held by any taxing authority that intends to exceed its revenue neutral tax rate.

Proposed tax rates vary depending on where residents live. The city with the highest proposed tax rate is currently Bonner Springs with a rate of 39.8 per thousand. Cities like Westwood Hills and Mission Woods currently have the lowest proposed rate of 0 per thousand.

Homeowners in Olathe could face a proposed tax rate of 23.3 per thousand, and some homeowners say it could lead to their displacement.

“Property taxes have gone up. They’ve roughly doubled since I bought the house 30 years ago,” said Ken Kasten, a homeowner from Olathe.

With each passing year, Kasten says, rising costs are forcing him to consider moving to more rural areas, even though he feels that option isn’t available to him.

“I don’t think I could afford to leave here and buy somewhere else now. Interest rates are high, so I’m stuck,” Kasten said.

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The property tax is used for roads, parks, fire protection, police and other local services. In the meantime, residents are waiting to see if and how they will be affected.

“I don’t know if they will raise taxes even further now just because prices are rising even more,” Kasten said.

Public hearings are scheduled for later this month and in September. Fees are subject to change through November 1. Details on proposed fees and hearing dates and times can be found on the Johnson County website.

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