The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday will hold its annual public hearings on the proposed budget. They’ll also consider asking voters to approve a sales tax increase. Here are the quick points to know.
• The 2025 proposed budget includes $520.7 million in total expenditures.
• It raises the mill levy — or property tax rate — to 36.807 mills.
That means the owner of a home with a value of $247,300 – the median value for Lawrence in 2022 — would pay about $103 more to the city in property taxes next year, or $1,047 up from $944.
Property tax increases are generally passed on to renters, too, in the form of rent increases.
• Commissioners are also set to decide Tuesday whether they want to ask voters to approve a .05% sales tax increase to support affordable housing and homelessness programs.
Commissioners have to ask voters to approve any new sales taxes. The affordable housing sales tax is currently 5 cents on every $100 spent in the city; that would increase to 10 cents per $100 spent.
The .05% sales tax is currently set to sunset in 2029. If voters approve doubling the tax, it would also extend it through March 2035 under the resolution commissioners will consider on Tuesday. The measure would appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot if commissioners move forward with it.
In the past 10 years, Lawrence and Douglas County voters have narrowly rejected a sales tax increase to fund a new police headquarters and a jail expansion, respectively. But county voters approved a quarter-cent behavioral health sales tax, and city voters approved renewing sales taxes toward public transportation and infrastructure improvements. City residents voted 62% in favor of the .05% affordable housing sales tax in 2017. Voter turnout was about 23.5%.
• Here’s a chart of the city’s general fund expenditures by department, showing 2023 actual spending, the 2024 adopted budget and the city manager’s 2025 recommended budget. It’s one of the biggest funds in the city budget.
• The meeting is set to begin at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20 at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. in Lawrence. Find the full meeting agenda at this link.
Meetings are open to the public. They’re also livestreamed on Midco Channel 25 and the city’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/lawrenceksvideo.
City commissioners take written public comment received at ccagendas@lawrenceks.org until noon the day of the meeting. They also hear public comment live in person and via Zoom; click here to register for Tuesday’s Zoom meeting.
Here’s further coverage of the city budget so far this season:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
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