Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday approved their 2025 budget, which includes a lower property tax rate than the current budget but will still increase taxes for many property owners.
The approved budget lowers the mill levy to 41.298 mills from 44.209, a 2.91-mill decrease.
The average assessed valuation for Douglas County properties increased 6.89%, according to a presentation from County Administrator Sarah Plinsky.
The revenue neutral rate — or the rate that would keep the county’s tax receipts the same as the previous year’s — would be a mill levy of 41.215.
The median value of a Lawrence home in 2022 was $247,300. The owner of that home would’ve owed the county $1,257 in property taxes under the 2024 mill levy of 44.209 mills.
If that home kept the same value, the property taxes would decrease to $1,174 in 2025. But if its value is determined to have increased by the average of 6.89%, to $264,339, the owner would owe the county $1,255 in property taxes under the 2025 mill levy of 41.298 mills — just $2 less than the prior year, despite the nearly 3-mill property tax rate cut commissioners approved.
One person who spoke during public comment said his property valuation went up 10%; using the same numbers as above, that would mean his total property taxes owed to the county would increase by about $35, to $1,292.
About two dozen people spoke during budget hearings, many lamenting increasing taxes and raising questions about transparency. Many were critical of the county’s growing fund balance.
Brian Farley, who started a group called the Douglas County Taxpayers Association, told commissioners the public has no insight into the valuation process, and whether it’s justified if their home values are increasing by tens of thousands of dollars each year. But he did know that valuations are done by a county employee.
“What I wanted to address was this idea that we’re lowering the mill levy and we’re doing it consistently, and therefore that is providing tax relief to the citizens of Douglas County,” Farley said. “What you’re doing when you make that argument is you’re leaving out the issue of valuation increases. So by providing only half of the picture, you’re essentially gaslighting people into believing that what you’re saying is actually being done for their benefit.”
The budget includes a $750,000 request from the City of Lawrence for one-time capital funds to purchase a building that will be used as a family shelter.
Plinsky’s proposed budget, released in July, would have kept the mill levy flat. Commissioners worked through several days of public budget hearings and deliberations to arrive at the lower mill levy.
Commissioners approved their modified budget unanimously. They also approved a budget for Consolidated Fire District No. 1 with a flat mill levy of 5.5 mills.
“I believe that our job as commissioners is to seek balance and to weigh what is necessary to maintain services for our county and plan for the future needs of our county and growth of services over time and growth of expenses over time,” Commissioner Shannon Reid said, “and that our job is to balance those needs and reduce harm where possible, while not creating more harm down the road by underfunding and not planning well enough for the future needs of this county.”
Commissioner Patrick Kelly said people often raise the point that Douglas County needs to increase its commercial tax base to help lessen the burden on property owners. He said he agrees with that, but in his experience, when those kinds of projects come up for approval, “there is significant resistance to adding more commercial and industrial development.”
See more details about the budget at on the county’s website at this link.
Edited to add, 1:28 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29: Commissioners in April approved a pilot program to offer property tax rebates for some folks ages 65 and up, as well as veterans with disabilities. The county will start taking applications for the program in January. Read more about that at this link.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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