City endorses 46 percent property tax hike
Yael T. AbouhalkahOverland Park’s elected officials are now on record as supporting a 46 percent increase in the city property tax. Good for them.
That could bring in more than $10 million a year in new revenue - and almost $100 annually from the owner of a $200,000 house.
In a tentative vote Monday, the City Council rejected a slightly smaller proposed property tax increase of 41 percent that would have created an extra $9 million a year.
Overall, of course, the city’s portion of a homeowner’s property tax bill isn’t that big. In fact, Overland Park has and still would have the lowest levy of any Johnson County city, even with the increase.
The council will make the final decision next month when it approves the 2012 city budget.
But for now it appears City Manager Bill Ebel has succeeded in convincing elected officials that the city needs the money so it won’t have to lay off more employees and won’t have to cut back more services - especially street maintenance, which is on the chopping block.
That’s what a responsible administrator is supposed to do. In this case, Ebel - and the council and the business community — appear united in deciding that Overland Park has the money and the will to retain its high-quality public services, even if it costs taxpayers more money.
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