A free workshop is being offered Saturday, March 12, to help residents learn how to successfully challenge and protest their property taxes.
Sponsored by the Wyandotte County GOP, the one-hour workshops will be held at five locations across Wyandotte County.
Chris Steineger, former state senator from Wyandotte County, said the free workshops are being offered as a public service. There will not be any political speeches, he said, no election materials, and it is nonpartisan. Anyone may attend.
April is the time of year when property appraisal notices go out this year, which list an appraised value and property tax.
Steineger said a lot of residents get angry and want to protest, don’t really know how, and often lose their protest.
He said the workshop is bringing in an attorney to speak who specializes in tax appeals, Linda Terrill. She has successfully argued tax cases before the Kansas Supreme Court.
According to Steineger, there is sometimes a wide difference between what a home can sell for and the value that is placed on it by the appraiser’s office.
“I think property taxes and utility rates in KCK are unnecessarily high,” he said. In Piper, where there are subdivisions with new homes, the values tend to be more realistic and accurate, he said. But the problem is in the older neighborhoods, about 80 percent of Wyandotte County, he added.
A case in the Kansas Supreme Court recently addressed county appraisals. The court ruled that if residents and businesses are successful and get their taxes knocked down for one year, the county can reappraise the property in the following year.
The Legislature is currently looking at a bill that would extend that to two years, Steineger said.
Steineger said it would be worth it for most people to protest their taxes.
“People should stand up for themselves,” Steineger said. “If they can save a few hundred dollars by protesting their taxes, it’s probably worth it.”
“I think taxes are too high,” he said. “I’ve heard so many people over the years complain about their taxes. If they fight and appeal and lose, they’re even more angry. We’re going to teach them in this workshop how to fight their taxes and win.”
The workshops, all on Saturday:
• 9 a.m. March 12 at Bonner Springs Public Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs.
• 10:30 a.m. March 12 at Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kan.
• Noon March 12 at Grace Lutheran Church, 3333 Wood Ave., Kansas City, Kan.
• 1:30 p.m. March 12 at Turner Recreation Center, 831 S> 55th St., Kansas City, Kan.
• 3 p.m. March 12 at Youth Front Church, 4418 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, Kan.
For more information, call 913-706-6394.
