Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will vote on a final budget that includes a property tax rate increase.
The commission has held budget discussions for several months, and public hearings during their Sept. 1 meeting.
City staff members are proposing a final budget with a mill levy, or property tax rate, of 35.178. That’s an increase of 1.466 mills over the 2026 budgeted mill levy of 33.712.
Home valuations have also increased 5% on average countywide, meaning even if the city’s property tax rate were to remain flat, most residents will be paying more next year. Property owners also pay taxes to the county, 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.
The median sale price of a home in Lawrence over the past two years was $325,000, according to a recently completed housing study. If the budget is approved, the property owner for a home valued at $325,000 would owe the city about $1,315 in property taxes in 2027, an increase of about $55 over 2026.
The final budget includes a property tax rate almost 1 mill lower than the 36.060 maximum mill levy commissioners agreed to in July.
As part of the same agenda item, commissioners will consider approving the city’s five-year capital improvement plan.
See the complete meeting agenda item at this link. See previous coverage of the city’s budget process in the articles linked below.
Meeting info
The commission’s regular meeting will start at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. See the complete meeting agenda at this link.
The commission accepts written public comment emailed to [email protected] until noon the day of meetings. The commission also hears live public comment during meetings, both in person and virtually.
City commission meetings are no longer livestreamed on YouTube. In order to watch the meeting online remotely, attendees must join via Zoom at this link, which also allows participants to provide public comment virtually. Meeting recordings are uploaded to the city’s YouTube channel the next day.
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