Property tax overhaul advances in the House
HB 2745 would require voter approval before local governments raise property tax revenues
TOPEKA — House Republicans introduced a sweeping property tax reform bill Friday that would require a vote of registered voters before any local taxing authority — counties, cities, school districts, fire districts and other entities empowered to levy property taxes — could increase property tax revenues for the following year.
HB 2745, introduced by the Committee on Taxation, would establish a property tax relief fund, provide transfers to counties that cap tax increases and replace the current revenue-neutral rate with a new property tax limit. The bill amends several existing statutes and continues the taxpayer notification costs fund. It represents the latest salvo in a yearslong push by Kansas Republicans to curb property tax growth, an issue lawmakers from both parties say they hear about more than almost any other from constituents.
Property taxes have dominated Kansas political debate for multiple sessions. A constitutional amendment to cap property valuations at 4% passed the Senate in 2025 but died in the House. More radical proposals — including one to abolish property taxes entirely by the end of 2027 — have also been floated. The Republican supermajority views property tax relief as a signature issue, though disagreements over mechanism and scope have repeatedly stalled legislation. Democrats have expressed willingness to work on the issue but have pushed for targeted relief for lower-income homeowners rather than across-the-board caps.
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