Douglas County commissioners will soon begin their annual days of budget hearings, discussing a proposal that includes a flat property tax rate.
Most residents will still see tax increases, however, as assessed valuations increased about 5% on average.
The average sale value of a home in Lawrence over the past two years is about $325,000, according to a housing study the city has in progress. The owner of a home valued at $325,000 would have owed the county about $1,520 in property taxes at a rate of 40.669 mills this year.
Although the proposed 2027 budget does not change the mill levy, or property tax rate, with the 5% average increase to valuations, the home’s valuation would increase to $341,250, and property taxes owed to the county would increase to about $1,596 — an increase of $76.
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Property owners also pay taxes to the city, school district and state. In Lawrence, property taxes break down to about 41% to Lawrence Public Schools, 32% to the county, 26% to the city and 1% to the state.
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The proposed budget’s grand total is $201.5 million.
The budget includes millions in funding for 45 community partners that provide various services. During the hearings, commissioners will have a chance to ask questions of many of the partners, and in particular those who submitted supplemental requests for additional funding totaling more than $7 million, according to a county news release. Those supplemental requests were not included in the proposed budget and will be up to commissioners’ discretion.
Here’s the summary of community partnerships that were included in the proposed budget (click here to open it in a new tab):
202607-DgCo-community-partnershipsCommissioners will open their budget hearings at 9 a.m. Monday, July 6 with an overview of the budget. All hearings are open to the public in the commission meeting room on the second floor of the historic courthouse at 1100 Massachusetts St.
The hearings will be accessible via Zoom. Commission meeting recordings are uploaded to the county’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@douglascountyks, after meetings have concluded.
View the complete proposed budget, which contains fund summaries, broken-down budgets and details about requests commissioners will hear, by downloading the file from this link. (Note: The 37-megabyte PDF file may be slow to download, depending on your internet connection.)
Commissioners will hold a formal public hearing and consider final adoption of the budget during their regular business meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Here’s the full schedule of budget hearings:
Zoom links to watch live are provided for each day. There is no public comment during these special meetings.
Monday, July 6
• 9 a.m.: Overview
• 9:30 a.m.: Supportive housing
Supplemental budget requests from Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Cardinal Housing Network, and Family Promise; also invited are Artists Helping the Homeless, Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, Mental Health America of the Heartland, and Tenants to Homeowners
• 10:30 a.m.: Behavioral health and substance use disorders
Supplemental budget requests from Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, DCCCA, HeadQuarters Kansas, Heartland Community Health Center, and the Treatment and Recovery Center; also invited are Heartland RADAC (Regional Alcohol and Drug Assessment Center), Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, and Mirror Inc.
Tuesday, July 7
• 9 a.m.: Law enforcement
Supplemental budget request from Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
• 10 a.m.: Justice
Supplemental budget requests from District Court and Kansas Holistic Defenders; also invited are the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Criminal Justice Services, and the district attorney’s office
• 11 a.m.: Heritage and land
Supplemental budget requests from Douglas County Extension Council and historical societies; also invited are Douglas County Conservation District, the Douglas County Fair board, and the Heritage Conservation Council
Wednesday, July 8
• 9 a.m.: Emergency services
Supplemental budget requests from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical; also invited are the county’s Emergency Communications Center and Emergency Management
• 10 a.m.: Economic development
Supplemental budget requests from the Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce, Baldwin City Economic Development Corporation, EDC of Lawrence and Douglas County, KU Innovation Park, and the KU Small Business Development Center; also invited is Peaslee Tech
• 11 a.m.: Targeted populations – Youth
Supplemental budget requests from Boys & Girls Club, Center for Supportive Communities, O’Connell Children’s Shelter, and Van Go; also invited are Douglas County CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) and the Children’s Advocacy Center
• 5:30 p.m.: Commissioners will have their regular Wednesday meeting. See the complete agenda at this link; find the Zoom meeting link on this page. There will be a public comment period during this meeting.
Thursday, July 9
• 9 a.m.: Targeted populations – Vulnerable populations
Supplemental budget requests from the Senior Resource Center, Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center, and Willow Domestic Violence Center; also invited are Cottonwood, Independence Inc., JAAA (Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging), Trinity In-Home Care, and VNA (Visiting Nurses Association)
• 9:30 a.m.: Vital services
Supplemental budget requests from Housing and Human Services, the Housing Stabilization Collaborative, Just Food and the Salvation Army; also invited are the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, Lawrence Community Shelter, and Lawrence Humane Society
• 10 a.m.: Infrastructure
Supplemental budget requests from Zoning; also invited is Public Works
• 10:30 a.m.: Land records and taxation
Supplemental budget requests from the county treasurer; also invited are the county appraiser, clerk, and register of deeds
• 11 a.m.: Core services
Supplemental budget requests from the county’s Administration and IT; also invited is Maintenance
Friday, July 10
9 a.m. to noon: Deliberations, if needed
Monday, July 13
9 a.m. to noon: Deliberations, if needed
Tuesday, July 14
9 a.m. to noon: Deliberations, if needed
Wednesday, July 15
9 a.m. to noon: Deliberations, if needed
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at [email protected]. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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