Petition aims to sustain Shawnee County property taxes

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A Topeka man is rallying the community's support to change a law that he says would give voters more say on their property taxes.

This week, Earl McIntosh turned in more than five thousand signatures. This comes after he and volunteers spent months canvassing and rallying homeowners who are tired of seeing their property taxes increase.

"Small businesses and homeowners, we desperately need some type of property tax relief," McIntosh said. "We need some stability. We can't take the constant increases coupled with inflation."

So, McIntosh presented the City of Topeka with a petition that would require a public vote to raise property taxes. Similar to the Gage Park sales tax increase in 2022, this could appear on a ballot according to his proposal.

The Shawnee County Election Office must first determine the validity of the petition and it's signatures.

"We'll start looking through the process of all the requirements of the law as to whether they were filled out properly," Election Commissioner Andrew Howell said. "Make sure we compare the signatures as required by law so that they are in fact registered voters in the city district."

If the election office signs off on the petition, it would then go to the governing body for review. The big question then becomes whether calling for such an election is legal.

A city spokeswoman tells 27 News that the petition would attempt to modify procedures set by state law. She said Kansas state law allows citizens to initiate proposed ordinances by petition.

“They can absolutely do it [petition the city] and they [the City of Topeka] absolutely need to respond,” Washburn University Associate Dean for Centers and Eternal Programs Shawn Leisinger said.

McIntosh says this is a crucial opportunity to give the public some say over their property tax rates.

"This petition is a cry for help to the city council," McIntosh said. "Most homeowners are going backward or having to move out of their houses. Especially the fixed income people in the city are in trouble because of inflation."

If this petition is approved by both the Election Office and the City Council, the city has 20 days to either pass the new ordinance, or call a special election.

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