TPiH 083 Unpacking Property Taxes - Chris Courtwright

We’re wrapping up our series on Kansas Property taxes this week with Chris Courtwright, who served as the principal economist for the Kansas Legislature for 34 years. In that role, Chris provided lawmakers with unbiased and reliable economic data used to make key decisions about the state budget. He also led the twice-a-year Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, which the legislature and the governor use as a basis for their revenue and budget projections for the coming year. Few people possess Chris’s understanding of the history and the changes in Kansas tax policy. He is a wealth of knowledge, and he does a great job of helping unpack the complex history taxation in Kansas - including property taxes. I think you’ll learn a great deal from this episode. But one thing I hope you’ll take away from this episode is how the pinch you’re feeling today when you look at your property tax bill began years ago - initiated by people who made decisions on tax policy that have, and continue to, put the burden squarely on working families in Kansas. My conversation with Chris is Part 4 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 3, I visited with former Hutchinson City Council member Jon Richardson about how policy affects city budgets, and in Episode 4, I visited 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, Chris Courtwright, and his insight on the history of taxation in Kansas.