Sen. Scott Hill urges property-tax reform, flags radio-communications gaps and criticizes large tax exemptions
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Summary
Visiting state Sen. Scott Hill told Dickinson County officials Jan. 8 he supports reducing reliance on property tax for education funding, discussed options such as a 1% statewide education sales tax, and criticized large sales-tax exemptions and incentives. He also urged clarity on who is fiscally responsible for the state's 800 MHz radio-network upgrades and defended limiting incarceration for simple marijuana possession.
State Sen. Scott Hill addressed the Dickinson County Commission on Jan. 8 with a legislative overview focused on state-level approaches to property-tax relief, public-safety communications and rural economic development.
Hill described the state’s 20-mill education levy — a set mill rate that does not adjust with appraisal changes — and said proposals under consideration include capping appraisal growth and exploring a 1% statewide education sales tax to replace some property-tax funding. "If we have 1% education sales tax, does that amount to enough money to get rid of the 20 mills? It might be," Hill said during the presentation. He warned, however, that taking exemptions out of the sales-tax base reduces revenue available for that option.
He criticized large, high-profile sales-tax exemptions and incentives (he cited a multibillion-dollar exemption tied to the Chiefs stadium and a large incentive for Panasonic) as money that does not flow into statewide services. Hill also said Kansas must remain competitive for business by lowering the tax burden rather than relying on large handouts.
On public safety, Hill highlighted problems with the state radio communications network and told commissioners that responsibility for ongoing maintenance and upgrades appears dispersed among agencies: "Somebody needs to be in charge of that. That needs to be a job," he said. He said meetings are scheduled with Kansas Highway Patrol and other state officials about dispatch-center consolidation and potential funding for dispatch and radio upgrades.
Hill took a more permissive stance on low-level marijuana possession, saying "we shouldn't be locking people up for possession of marijuana" and noting that many people jailed are there for drug offenses; he emphasized the effectiveness of drug court programs in the county. He said he does not expect Medicaid expansion or adult-use marijuana legislation to pass the legislature this session but acknowledged new federal developments would be monitored.
County commissioners used the talk to press the senator for follow-up on specific county administrative issues (for example, tag stickers and documentation requirements) and to arrange a follow-up meeting during local-government day at the statehouse.
Why it matters: Hill’s comments outline proposals that could reshape county tax bills and state support for local government services. The senator’s emphasis on radio-network responsibility also reflects an ongoing local concern about who will fund and operate critical public-safety infrastructure.
