Lenexa is planning to launch a pilot program that will provide $100,000 in property tax relief for older homeowners in the area.
On Tuesday, the Lenexa City Council unanimously approved a Governing Body Finance Policy for a Property Tax Rebate Program intended to provide property tax relief for eligible homeowners.
The program is intended to provide property tax relief for eligible older homeowners and lessen the tax burden resulting from rising home values. The program has been in talks for about a year.
“This is great,” said Councilmember Courtney Eiterich. “I know we’ve hashed through a lot of different scenarios on this, and I’m happy to see this come to fruition. I hope that we get lots of applicants.”
The measure is similar to a pilot program recently discussed by the Overland Park City Council in May.
Applicants must meet certain criteria
- They much have an owner-occupied home (attached or detached).
- Homeowners must be at least 65 years old or a disabled veteran with 100% military disability.
- Their home must have an appraised value less than or equal to the previous year’s city-wide median home value ($390,000 for the 2024 Program year).
- The household income must be less than or equal to the previous year’s HUD Very Low Income Limits for the Kansas City Metro.
- Homeowners must be current on property taxes.
Applicants will also have to provide the following:
- Completed application form.
- Copy of photo ID with date of birth.
- Copy of VA award letter showing disability rating (if applicable).
- Verification of the previous year’s household income (Tax Form 1040 or Social Security statement).
- Completed ACH Enrollment Form (direct deposit) and W-9 Form.
Applications will be accepted from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31
Every eligible applicant will receive a property tax rebate equal to a pro rata share of available funds, capped at 75% of the City’s share of the homeowner’s property tax bill.
The amount each applicant will be reimbursed depends on the total number of eligible applications. It is anticipated that rebate amounts will range from approximately $550 to a maximum of $924.
Some city leaders were concerned about applicants using email
During the discussion about the program, councilmembers Joe Karlin and Craig Denny expressed worry about the suggestion that residents should submit their applications via email.
“As I look at it, birthday, social (security number) and banking information is not something I’d want these individuals to sending to us over insecure email,” Karlin said.
Ways for people to submit applications are being evaluated, said Kyle Glaser, economic development analyst for Lenexa.
“We’ll work with people as much as possible, especially in this first year when it’s kind of new to everybody,” he said.
This will be the first time for the program
Since this is the first go-around for the program, it’s likely that the city will encounter problems that will need worked out, said Mayor Julie Sayers.
“We view this very much as a pilot program,” she said. “We certainly won’t have it perfect the first time. We sort of need to work out the kinks … And then, we’ll be back a year from now to discuss what improvements we can make upon it.”
Interested applicants will be given further instructions on how to apply by mid-July at Lenexa.com/Rebate.
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