Leavenworth County adopts 2026 budget above revenue-neutral rate after wide public protest over property taxes; approves courthouse exterior contract

Leavenworth County commissioners adopted a 2026 county budget that exceeds the state revenue-neutral rate and approved a contractor to repair the outside of the county courthouse, after a lengthy public comment period in which dozens of residents urged the board not to raise taxes.

The Board of County Commissioners voted 4–1 to approve Resolution 2025-528 to levy a property tax rate exceeding the revenue-neutral rate for tax year 2025; Commissioner Culberson, Mister Stephen, Commissioner Smith and Mister Dove voted aye and one commissioner voted no. The same meeting saw final adoption of the county’s fiscal 2026 budget after discussion of mill-levy changes, mandated costs and capital reserves.

Why it matters: dozens of residents told commissioners that recent appraisals and levy changes are forcing long-time homeowners to consider selling. Commissioners and county staff said the increase is driven largely by costs the county cannot control — school levies, state exemptions that remove large property values from the tax rolls, and rising costs for roads, bridges and public safety — and by the need to fund overdue capital repairs.

Residents’ comments

Multiple speakers described steep appraisal increases and higher bills. “Our appraised value at our home in the last four years has gone up over $450,000,” said Lauren Gotchalk, identifying herself as a resident of Lansing, Kansas. Sharon Plumb told the board her property taxes had risen steadily since 2015 and asked, “Why do you need more money?” Virginia Stewart said a household that recently bought a home in Leavenworth could not absorb a proposed tax increase that would push a payment “from 700‑something to 3,000‑something.”

Kirsten Borkin, a Lansing resident, used public comment to press the board to reconsider funding for the Leavenworth County Port Authority and the LCDC, urging commissioners to “either defund the LCDC or supervise that money properly.”

County staff and commissioners: causes and choices

Jeff (county staff member) delivered a detailed explanation of factors the county says drive property-tax pressure, including: the state’s property-tax valuation system, numerous state exemptions that remove billions in valuation from local rolls, the abolition of the LAVTR program, and the county’s high percentage of property owned by tax-exempt entities such as federal installations and state prisons. Jeff said Leavenworth County is roughly 56% property-tax exempt and described options the county has pressed in Topeka, including a pilot payment for federal property and allowing counties to adopt a local income tax or change tax mixes.

Commissioner Mike (commissioner) reiterated that much of a homeowner’s bill is set by other taxing entities. “The school district portion of your property tax is about 60¢ on the dollar,” he said, and urged residents to contact state legislators about limits on property-tax growth.

Capital needs, reserves and courthouse repairs

The board also voted to award Pullman SST Inc. the base bid for the courthouse exterior project and accepted the recommendation from the architect/consultant (Treanor) to select Pullman over a lower bidder. The approved base contract amount is $5,879,450 with an added 5% contingency; staff noted an expected 40% tax credit on certain roof work that would reduce net cost. County staff described the work as addressing “emergency issues” on the courthouse exterior and said material lead times (approximately 40 weeks for terracotta pieces) mean work will be staged to avoid exposing the building to moisture.

County staff told commissioners the 0.8‑mill increase added last year for capital repairs will fund the project and that the county will repay reserves used to cover the cost so other capital projects can continue. Commissioners also discussed the role of reserves: “We have reserves in the county to level the mill levy … and to accomplish projects without issuing debt,” a staff member said.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda — approved (unanimous recorded aye votes). - Pullman SST Inc., courthouse exterior base bid and agreement with Treanor, base bid $5,879,450 with 5% contingency — approved (motion, second; tally recorded as approved). - Resolution 2025-528: levy property tax rate exceeding the revenue-neutral rate for tax year 2025 — approved 4–1 (Commissioner Culberson: aye; Mister Stephen: aye; Commissioner Smith: aye; Mister Dove: aye; commissioner Dave: no). - Leavenworth County 2026 budget (fiscal year 2026) — approved (motion and second, roll-call ayes recorded). - Resolution 2025-529: levy property tax rate exceeding the revenue-neutral rate for Leavenworth County special other funds (sewer/local service funds) — approved (motion and second; no contested roll call recorded).

Other actions and next steps

The board asked staff to continue pursuing state- and federal-level remedies discussed in the meeting, including outreach to state legislators about property-tax caps and pilot payments for federal property. Commissioners also scheduled a work session to review how economic-development funds are held and allocated; the board confirmed that those funds will remain under county control and directed staff to schedule a follow-up work session.

What’s next: staff and commissioners said citizens should expect a multi-month implementation period for the courthouse work and continued dialogue with state representatives about property-tax policy. Several commissioners urged residents to testify in Topeka or otherwise contact state lawmakers about statutory reforms affecting local taxation.

Ending

Commissioners closed the public hearing and adjourned after further administrative items. The board encouraged residents with continuing questions to contact the county offices or attend scheduled follow-up meetings.

Quotes used in this article are verbatim from meeting remarks and attributed to speakers who spoke at the meeting.