On the Issues

The issues outlined below are issues Terry is concerned about and interested in trying to resolve. Citizen feedback is encouraged.

30x30 Federal Land Grab

I hosted two community forums this year about this important county issue. Over 120 people from Harvey, Marion, and Sedgwick counties attended and many questions were answered by Marci Laffen and Angel Cushing, our expert speakers.

VIEW FAQ Sheet

If you still have questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them. Both speakers are available via email for follow up questions and answers.

Data-Driven Decisions

It isn't completely clear that county departments are utilizing data for decision-making. The tools for such data collection are not visible, and when reporting to the commission, data is not an important element of the reports.

Non-taxable Property

Harvey County has one of the highest ratios of non-taxable property, currently 24.7%. This places the county in a position of having to tax citizens excessively in order to pay for the work of the county.

There seems to be quite a few misconceptions (including me) about how this whole assessment/property tax thing works. As I get more information, I'll post it here!!

Student Scores and Taxes

Fifty percent of a citizen's taxes are assessed for the local schools. Yet, Harvey County ranks low in student scores, particularly reading and math skills. This imbalance is not being addressed at the county level, where we need a variety of voices helping to solve this challenge. While the County Commission does not have authority over the school board, it is important that the county, city, and school board work together to help our students. By improving our community and our schools, we will draw more people to Harvey County and share the tax burden we're all experiencing.

I will continue to share data (and the data site), meet with school board members, and encourage Harvey County citizens to attend meetings (county, city and school board) and share their ideas.

Property Tax Values

What’s up with property taxes?

We have all received our property tax valuation notice….and we’re all a bit shell-shocked by how much it has gone up. According to the State Property Tax Validation Department, Harvey County is out of compliance because our values are too low and it appears that we are trying to make up the difference in just one year. There is no requirement to adjust so high in one year.

The problem is that property taxes are set arbitrarily at the state and local levels. Then, citizens are required to comply with these arbitrary values or be penalized.

Tax Relief at the State Level

Here’s a look at how the tax bill (vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly) compares to a new compromise plan finally agreed to with bi-partisan lawmakers. Part of this is based on a document obtained by the Sunflower State Journal that was circulated by the governor’s office on Thursday. The original bill vetoed by the Gov. was unanimously voted for by lawmakers. She ended up retaining too much of our property tax revenue. The new agreement was announced Thursday night, June 13, 2024.