Opinion: We’ve got to talk about property taxes

By Gina Long

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Like most Reno County property owners this past week, I received a shock in the mail.

My property taxes went up, and not by an insignificant amount.

The mill levies didn’t go up. Property valuations have exploded over the last 4 years. As stated in a previous editorial, my house’s valuation has increased 65 percent since 2018.

That is a crazy amount, reflecting the amounts buyers have been paying for Reno County properties.

It is frustrating because our taxes, although the mill levies remain the same or bond debt has been refinanced at lower borrowing costs, continue to rise because of property valuation.

Housing scarcity, particularly starter homes for working-class families, drives higher sales prices. Reno County’s negative housing growth impacts even the most humble property’s market value.

Higher valuations make staying in one’s home less affordable for fixed-income homeowners, a growing demographic. Homeowners who downsize and rent meet an expensive and crowded market, while homeowners who stay do not free up larger houses for families.

There are no easy solutions because so many essential infrastructure projects, such as upgrading Hutchinson’s crumbling water main and sewer systems, are now at the tipping point, when deferred maintenance is no longer possible.

Increasing the tax base is the only way out of the property tax spiral, given the state legislature’s revenue imbalance caused by the Brownback tax failure — the new Evergy plant in So. Hutchinson, as planned, is expected to bring hundreds of well-paying jobs and supporting employment in support sectors.

We must be cautious, however. The Evergy plant received a ten-year property tax abatement but only reached its employment goals for a limited time. We must ensure that companies that ride on the backs of working-class taxpayers hold up their end of the bargain.

Next week, I will pay my property tax bill, a disheartening task during the holidays. I wonder how much more each month I must set aside for taxes and the spiraling cost of property insurance and utility bills.

By Gina Long Like most Reno County property owners this past week, I received a shock in the mail. My property taxes went up, and not by an insignificant amount. The mill levies didn't go up. Property valuations have exploded over the last 4 years. As stated in

Opinion: There is still plenty to be thankful for this holiday season

By Richard Shank

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Author Charles Dickens, writing in 1859, penned a classic book entitled “A Tale of Two Cities,” which included a 12-word phrase still spoken 165 years later: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Historians and authors have spent decades defining Dickens’ words and are in some agreement that he was saying two completely opposite situations or experiences are happening simultaneously. These events represent a time of great contrast and paradox, where both positive and negatives aspects exist at the same time; like experiencing both joy and sorrow at once.

Perhaps, these words apply to the times we are experiencing in 2024. Still, a half dozen calls across Hutchinson found the same number of people who have plenty to be thankful in this holiday season.

Dave Thomas, a retired Sears Store Manager, college instructor, and for the past 20 years, an assistant coach for the Hutchinson Community College (HCC) Women’s Soccer team, smiles broadly when providing his list.

“I am thankful for the past year I spent working with the HCC Women’s Soccer team,” Thomas said. “This is one of the best groups of young ladies I have worked with both on and off the field in my two decades of coaching. It is a pleasure to go to practice every day with this group.

Bob Kenyon, who in 2023, relocated to Hutchinson from Baltimore following retirement as a college professor at Loyola University Maryland, is a proponent for using alternate sources of energy, offered straightforward comments. “I am thankful that there is more awareness of climate change and the efforts being made to slow or even reverse it,” Kenyon said. “Let’s leave our grandkids a habitable planet.”

Russ Reinert, Hutchinson CPA and resident for 50 years and civic activist, says plenty in fewest words, “I am thankful for having family and friends that accept me just as I am, and all the blessings our great God has bestowed on me.”

Retired radio executive and Reno County Commissioner Dan Deming, remains thankful in spite of family losses. “I am thankful for family and friends who continue to help me get through the deaths of my wife, daughter, and grandson, all in a short period of time—all of which helped me realize I should have been more appreciative and responsive to the love and kindness they
gave me,” Deming said. “Also, I am thankful for the health and opportunity to continue working and trying to make a positive difference for those less fortunate in our community.”

“And, I am thankful for the men and women who have died, fought and served in the military to make the United States, despite its’ many problems, the best country in the world, along with past and present leaders who have the vision to shape and implement a more responsive future,” Deming continued.

Kent Shank, a Hutchinson resident for 30 years said he has plenty to be thankful for and is happy to share. “I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me the importance of my Christian faith, and supporting me through college, enabling me to pursue my career aspirations,” Shank said. “I am also blessed to have met my wonderful wife, and together we raised three remarkable daughters who share a strong Christian faith, and are successfully pursuing their educational and career goals.”

“Two of my daughters are now married, and I am thankful for my two outstanding sons-in-law and my three-year-old grandchild,” Shank continued.

Kathy Voth, a retired Executive Assistant, is living proof for what some may call the small things of life add up to create what really matters most. “I am thankful for family gatherings, where laughter, stories, and playful banter are shared around the table,” Voth said. “I am thankful for our blooming flowers in the spring and summer, followed by the beautiful turning leaves and crisp nights in the fall. “I am thankful for the good health of my loved ones and I am thankful for my lifelong friendships that endure through good times.”

The bottom line is “gratitude” is a word that should be uppermost in minds on any given day. It is written that gratitude helps people feel more positive and bring better emotions, relish good experiences, improve one’s health to better deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

Ramsey Solutions reports that feeling thankful creates contentment, cultivates humility and positivity, and promotes generosity.

After reporting on these well-stated thoughts from friends and experts, I should probably conclude with a few of my own.

I feel thankful to live in a free nation where anything is still possible. In 2024, we endured a contentious and hotly contested election. Not everyone’s favorite candidate won. Still, on January 20 we will have a peaceful transfer of power where the outgoing president will be in attendance to wish the best for his successor. If our new president does well, we will all do well.

As a Hutchonian, it has been fun to watch a city and county, working together and being poised to bring transformational changes to our community.

Sitting with family for Thanksgiving dinner in Lawrence, we were excited to swap a few old family stories and be thankful for nieces and nephews and their spouses who are pursuing their dreams and passions in a country brimming with opportunity. They are all doing the family proud.

We left Lawrence on Thanksgiving evening feeling blessed for all the family members and friends in our lives.

While traveling to and from Lawrence we witnessed several stranded motorists who were experiencing car malfunctions. I assume they were traveling to a Thanksgiving dinner just like we were. In each instance, the Kansas Highway Patrol was on the scene to aid. This fine group of law enforcement professionals have been serving Kansas for 87 years, and we should be thankful for what they do for us every day. And, we hope that at the end of their work day, they still had time for a family get together like we did.

Let us finish this year with a blast and pledge to make 2025 the best of all time.

Happy Holidays.

By Richard Shank Author Charles Dickens, writing in 1859, penned a classic book entitled “A Tale of Two Cities,” which included a 12-word phrase still spoken 165 years later: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Historians and authors have spent decades