By Vivienne Leyva
PIO / Riley County
RILEY COUNTY, KS – August 5, 2024) On Friday, August 2nd, the Riley County Clerk’s Office started mailing proposed property tax and public hearing notices to residential, commercial, and personal property owners in Riley County. Each notice will include 2025 estimated ad valorem taxes and public hearing information for entities levying taxes on their property. This notice is not a tax bill. No action is needed in response to the notice, it is for information purposes only.
Kansas Statute authorizes local governments to levy property taxes. In addition to cities, townships, and counties, taxing entities include special districts such as schools, hospitals, fire departments, cemeteries, watersheds, and libraries. Each entity budgeting to utilize tax revenue in any amount greater than their 2024 budget is required by state law to hold a public hearing.
The proposed 2025 Riley County budget will not exceed the revenue neutral rate, so no public hearing is needed for the Riley County budget. Riley County Fire District #1 (Rural Fire) is planning to exceed the revenue neutral rate. The 2025 Revenue Neutral Rate Public Hearing for Rural Fire will be held Thursday, August 22 at 9:50 a.m. in the Riley County Commission Chambers located at 115 N. 4th Street in Manhattan, Kansas. Visit www.rileycountyks.gov/RNR to see the full schedule of public hearings for each taxing entity in Riley County. The mailed notices will include customized information for the public hearings specific to each owner, such as the relevant city, fire department, and school district.
For more information about Riley County property taxes, public hearings, and the Revenue Neutral Rate, please visit www.rileycountyks.gov/RNR or call the Riley County Clerk’s Office at 785-565-6215 during regular business hours.
Revenue Neutral Rate Information
Kansas Statute now requires all entities authorized to levy property taxes to host a public hearing and send notification to property owners if proposed budgets will exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR). Revenue neutral is when a taxing entity budgets the same amount of property tax revenue or less, IN DOLLARS, for the upcoming budget year as they did for the current year. For example, If a taxing entity uses $1 million of property tax revenue in 2024, being revenue neutral means they plan to use $1 million or less in 2025. However, if a taxing entity plans to use more property tax revenue in dollars for the upcoming budget year compared to the current year, they would exceed revenue neutral and need to hold a public hearing.