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Commissioners seek faster tax appeals, broader candidate pool for county appraiser
Summary
Sedgwick County commissioners discussed legislative proposals to require Board of Tax Appeals determinations within one year, broaden eligibility for county appraiser candidates, post appeal data online, and create a state-funded intermediary hearing panel to resolve appeals before BOTA.
Commissioners discussed multiple proposed statutory reforms to county appraisal and tax-appeal processes on Oct. 21, prioritizing faster resolution of appeals and increasing the pool of eligible appraiser candidates.
Commissioner Richard Howe argued several items were urgent. He said the county should seek a statutory requirement that the Board of Tax Appeals (BOTA) reach determinations within one year of an appeal unless parties agree otherwise. He framed timeliness as critical and said if the state does not resolve appeals within a reasonable period it undermines property owners' ability to have a timely remedy.
The staff-proposed changes also include removing a KSA requirement that limited county appraiser applicants to those with three or more years of mass-appraisal experience; instead the county proposed broadening eligibility to attract candidates with leadership and appraisal-adjacent qualifications. Staff and commissioners also discussed requiring counties to post property tax appeal and valuation data on county websites to increase transparency.
An additional proposal would allow counties the option to establish a state-funded intermediary hearing panel to hear and potentially resolve appeals before they proceed to the Board of Tax Appeals. County counsel clarified the intermediary panel exists under current law if funded locally but the platform request asks the state to fund it, which would be a statutory change.
Commissioners agreed some items could be implemented by the county immediately (for example, establishing local hearing panels or posting more data online), while others require state action. The group signaled support for moving the BOTA-timing requirement and the hearing panel funding into their short-session priorities and to keep the other appraiser reforms on the platform or on a watch list for the 2027 comprehensive effort.
Closing note: Staff will draft bill language for the prioritized items and provide it to the county counselor and lobbyist for introduction and follow-up.
