Unpacking Property Taxes - Chapter 3

Former Hutchinson City Council Member Jon Richardson shares his experience

We’re continuing our series on Kansas Property taxes this week, with former Hutchinson City Council member Jon Richardson, who left the council in January.

I asked Jon to talk about the difficulty of managing a city budget, especially when faced with a changing landscape - and mandates - from the state and federal governments.

We discuss a number of different topics in our conversation, and the time flew by while we recorded. I am confident you’ll feel the same as you listen.

It’s both important and enlightening to hear Jon’s takeaways and insights from his time on the council. It’s also a good reminder that at the local level, the people serving in elected capacity - your city council members, county commissioners, and school board members - are effectively neighborhood volunteers who care about their communities. They don’t make real money, typically aren’t politically driven, and often are tackling big, complex issues. And in a town the size of Hutchinson, any decision you make is bound to make one group or another upset.

My conversation with Jon is Part 3 in That Podcast In Hutch’s multi-part series on property taxes. Part one is a conversation with Kansas Senator Mike Murphy, who introduced legislation this session aimed at eliminating property taxes in Kansas and replacing it with a surtax, which is a sort of sales tax on consumption. In Part 2, I visited with Reno County Appraiser Michael Plank, who discussed the property valuation process. In Part 4, I visit with Chris Courtwright, the Kansas Legislature’s lead economist for 34 years.

This package of episodes of TPIH contains a lot of valuable information for anyone who is interested in learning more about property taxes, tax appraisals, and the ways in which policy decisions from years ago are affecting you today.

Now up, Jon Richardson, and his experience on the Hutchinson City Council.