policy
Kansas House Bill 2045 Caps Wichita Property Taxes Starting 2027
The measure limits annual increases in property taxes for residential properties in Sedgwick County, with the first adjustments scheduled for 2027 tax bills mailed to Wichita addresses.
How we reported this
Kansas House Bill 2045 caps yearly property tax increases at 3 percent for owner-occupied homes in counties that opt in, including Sedgwick County where Wichita is located. The bill passed the legislature in the final week of the 2026 session and was signed by the governor on 30 June. It applies directly to the assessed values used by the Sedgwick County Appraiser’s Office when calculating 2027 tax statements.
Property taxes fund local services such as Wichita public schools, street maintenance and fire protection. Statewide assessed valuations rose 7.2 percent between 2024 and 2025 according to Kansas Department of Revenue records, pushing some Wichita homeowners above the previous year’s tax amount by more than the new cap allows. The legislation therefore sets a ceiling that county officials must observe when preparing next year’s rolls.
Projected changes for city residents
A typical Wichita single-family home valued at 185000 dollars carries an annual property tax bill of roughly 2400 dollars under current rates. Under the new limit the increase portion cannot exceed 72 dollars in 2027. Renters may see slower pass-through of tax costs in lease renewals because landlords will face the same ceiling on their own tax obligations for multi-unit buildings.
The Sedgwick County Treasurer’s office will recalculate levies for approximately 138000 residential parcels inside Wichita city limits once the cap takes effect. City budget staff have already adjusted revenue forecasts in the 2027 preliminary budget document released on 2 July, trimming expected property-tax collections by 4.1 million dollars compared with earlier projections.
Local advocates note that the cap does not reduce existing tax levels, only the size of future increases. Households whose properties undergo reassessment after improvements or sales will still pay taxes on the new higher value, though the year-to-year growth remains bounded. The legislation states that any revenue shortfall for local governments must be offset by other sources or spending reductions.
County appraisers must publish the capped tax estimates by 15 November 2026 so residents can review them before the March 2027 payment deadline. The Kansas Department of Revenue will monitor compliance through annual reports submitted by each participating county treasurer beginning in 2028.