MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. — Some residents in Miami County, Kansas, are upset that their property taxes and property values are going up, including long-time resident Scott Estes.
“Where did this come from?" Estes said. “I don’t even know where to begin."
Estes loves his home, which he's lived in since 1991. However, he's not in love with the recent increase to his property value and taxes.
“When I actually bought this place, I didn’t think the value would actually double in what, eight years,” Estes said.
Estes says he refinanced his home twice, and is not happy with high payments he’s seeing on paper.
“It’s almost doubled,” Estes said. “ I have a budget I have to meet.”
Upon concerns made by Estes, KSHB 41 reached out to the Miami County, Kansas, appraiser Justin Eimers.
Eimers sent a lengthy statement on the issue.
It is important to remember that property values and property taxes are two separate things. Property values are used to make sure that property taxes are split in a fair and equitable manner between all taxpayers in the taxing district.
For 2023, the Miami County Board of County Commissioners chose to pass a budget that remains revenue neutral. Essentially this means the budget is the exact same as last year, so the County chose not to capture the increase in value as additional taxes. Due to differences in market conditions some properties may have appreciated at different rates than others so taxes may not remain exactly the same on any given property. The property values that were sent out to taxpayers on March 1st will be used during the budget process in August of 2023 and it is the budget process that will determine the taxes for 2024. Additionally, there are other taxing entities within Miami County who all set their own budgets. Some will collect more additional revenue than others.
In the State of Kansas, most property is required to be valued at its fair market value. There are a few exceptions, such as land devoted to agriculture use that is valued at its use value. Because state law dictates that market value is used to value property the market dictates what those valuations are. In Miami County the average sale price of homes went up and so the average home valuation went up accordingly.
Homeowners need to know that the laws and regulations about how property is valued is set by the State and the County Appraiser is required to follow those laws. The valuation process is a very important component of the property tax system, but the values are not what sets the taxes. Taxes are calculated by taking a taxing entity’s budget and then spreading it amongst the taxpayers based on those values. Homeowners should also know there is a system in place to appeal their property values if they believe there is a problem. Forms to file an appeal are located on the County Appraiser’s website and people can come to the County Administration Building to pick one up if they cannot get it online.
Estes says he plans to gather with other residents to discuss how to appeal their property values.
Estes has set up a Facebook page to ensure homeowners are well aware of their rights.
“We need to educate these people so they know where to go, know what to do,” Estes said. “Everybody has the right to a fair trial.”
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