Members of the Kansas Legislature attended Friday’s Flint Hills Regional Council meeting held in Alma and discussed the upcoming legislative session.

Multiple topics were discussed but the tax “lid” imposed last session had the focus of the members of the FHRC. 

“After listening to all of it, we’re going to have to pay attention to what’s going on in the Legislation this year. But before it starts we need to start working at a grass-roots level on projects we need to take care, number one being the tax lid,” said Mike Ryan, Junction City Commissioner. “If we don’t start working at home the tax lid is probably going to, not just stay there, but it may get worse.”

Republican legislators inserted the property tax “lid” into the $400 million tax bill this past June as a sweetener for colleagues who were loath to vote for a tax increase. It requires local governments to get voter approval to take in any tax revenue above the rate of inflation that comes from increased property values.

It is the biggest issue in the upcoming session, as far as, funding at the local level according to Ryan.

“Because the state programs continue to shut down and they put the expense on the local communities to pay for, and if they put a tax lid on us, then we won’t be able to fund any projects at home either and things just won’t happen.”

Democratic Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka noted that she does have a bill in the works that would repeal the tax lid. She is currently seeking co-sponsors of the bill and said she has a few lined up and plans to introduce it when the session opens in January.

Other issues facing the legislature include continued revenue shortfalls, the need to develop a school finance formula and a looming decision from the Kansas Supreme Court concerning whether or not the State is adequately funding K-12 education.

The 2016 Kansas Legislative Session will kick off on Monday, January 11th, 2016.