By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com
While the proposed property tax rate would remain the same for the 2013 budget, a majority of residents in Wyandotte County could receive a small tax cut on their property taxes paid to the Unified Government.
Deputy County Administrator Doug Bach told the Unified Government Board of Commissioners Thursday evening that property valuations in residential zones again decreased.
Theoretically, a flat property tax rate and a decreased home valuation means the actual amount of taxes paid by the property owner would decrease.
According to Bach, 71 percent of home-owners in Wyandotte County had a lower assessed valuation, while 27 percent of property owners had around the same property value.
"Residential neighborhood values have gone down in our community," Bach said. "We expect 70 percent of our residents will see a modest decrease."
The tax decrease for those residents would come on the Unified Government and Kansas City, Kan., portion of the overall tax bill. About 47 percent of all property taxes paid by residents of Kansas City, Kan., are collected by the UG for county and city services.
Most of the remaining 53 percent go to the four public school districts and Kansas City Kansas Community College.
The lower valuation for residential zones is made up financially in the budget by the economic development in the western portion of Wyandotte County.
County Administrator Dennis Hays said the continued development of the Village West area has made it possible for the county to hold the line on property taxes this year - and in later years, lower the property tax rate.
"Citizens express concern about what the development out west is doing for their areas," Hays said. "We would not be able to hold the line on property taxes on this budget without those projects."
