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Johnson County commissioner outlines county services, housing and transit plans at Fairway meeting
Summary
Johnson County Commissioner Becky Fast told the Fairway City Council that state funding shortfalls are shifting property-tax burdens to homeowners and outlined county initiatives including a $500,000 property-tax relief increase, an eviction-mediation program that helped about 700 families, JoCo United transit plans for FIFA events, and local wastewater and stormwater programs.
Becky Fast, a Johnson County commissioner, told the Fairway City Council on Feb. 9 that county government is handling more state-mandated services while state funding has not kept pace, shifting a larger share of property-tax burden onto residential homeowners.
"Johnson County really prides itself on its strong relationships with its cities," Fast said, and described how exemptions and changes in state law have moved tax burden from commercial to residential properties. "You can see from, you know, back in the day, residents paid 47% of property taxes and now residents are up to 70," she said.
Fast outlined several county programs and initiatives that affect Fairway residents. The county increased its property-tax relief program to cover appraised values up to $500,000 and is building a portal to let older residents view county and city assistance in one place. She said state rebate programs also exist for seniors and veterans and that Senator Corson has sponsored legislation to raise an appraisal threshold at the state level.
On housing, Fast said Johnson County has prioritized the housing continuum and partnered with groups including Habitat for Humanity; a home-preservation program using federal/COVID funds will help lower-income homeowners with repairs. Fast said the county’s new eviction-mediation program, which brings tenants and landlords together before sheriff action, has helped about 700 families avoid homelessness.
Fast described changes in county mental-health response, noting that the state-wide 988 system and county co-responder models now direct many crisis calls to mental-health staff and that the county opened a youth crisis stabilization center to provide alternatives to jail or emergency-room transport.
She also reviewed transit preparations tied to FIFA events and broader service improvements under the JoCo United plan: the county approved free circulator routes with about 14 stops and multiple loops that will be scheduled and mapped on an event app and a Johnson County link app. Fast said driver shortages remain a challenge and the county is recruiting regionally to staff temporary services.
Fast urged residents to use county services for wastewater and stormwater issues, including a county inflow program that assesses older homes where stormwater enters the sewer and can fund sump pumps when needed. She also previewed Corinth Library design work and invited residents to use Johnson County parks such as Meadowbrook and Kill Creek.
Following the presentation, council members asked about transit hours, the status of a proposed Lenexa shelter that was not approved, and the legal interpretation of the county's public-safety sales tax; Fast said a court recently sided with an opinion that limited allowable uses and that the county is seeking legislative clarification to broaden the statute.
The county update closed with Fast answering audience questions and inviting further contact with county staff for program details.
