No property tax increase for Wyandotte County, but fees to go up in planned budget

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- There will not be a property tax increase for Wyandotte County residents this year, but some fees will be increasing.

The Unified Government rolled out its budget on Monday. Total expenditures in this year's budget will be $296.8 million if approved.

For property tax owners, the mill levy tax rate will remain at the current level of 81.6 mills. However, some fees will be increasing for Wyandotte County residents.

Among them:

• Trash collection fees will be bumped up $1.50 a month due to an increase with the contract with Deffenbaugh Industries. 

• Sanitary sewer fees will increase five percent. The UG said federal government mandates led to the increase of those fees. 

• The UG is asking the Board of Public Utilities to NOT eliminate the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes fee, also known as the PILOT. 

• The budget also calls for the PILOT fee to increase to 11.9 percent beginning on Jan. 1, 2014. That's a one-percent increase from the current percentage.

Along with the increase of fees, the UG will also be making budget cuts this season.

Five percent cuts will be made across the board. The UG will also continue to reduce staffing through attrition and will reduce overtime for county employees. The Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department Cadet Program will not be funded in 2014.

Additionally, the KCK Recycling Program will be closed.

More information on the budget soon.