A formula error is being listed as the cause of an error in Lyon County’s 2022 property tax notice.
Monday night, Emporia Communications Manager Christine Johnson issued a news release saying the city’s estimated taxes in the Notice of Estimated Ad Valorem Taxes had an error. According to a joint statement from the city and county Tuesday evening, the error was the result of an incorrect formula used by a vendor to calculate the difference between the revenue-neutral rate and the proposed budget amount.
Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking says it is unclear how the incorrect figures were added into the equation.
Lyon County Clerk Tammy Vopat says this is the first year these notices have had to be mailed out and it is not a simple process.
The original statements showed Lyon County at mill-levy flat and Emporia with a slight levy increase, but they also show USD 253’s cumulative mill levy at just over 9 mills, well below the roughly 62-mill total for all the district’s line items. According to Vopat, new notices will be sent out to taxpayers before the end of the week.
Cocking tells KVOE News the city has been asked to also review the notices before they are delivered. USD 253 Emporia Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Rob Scheib says the district is awaiting guidance from the Kansas State Department of Education and may have its course of action lined up this week.
Noon Tuesday: Lyon County schedules news release Thursday after issues noted in Emporia’s 2022 notice of estimated property taxes
Emporia city leaders plan to meet with Lyon County Clerk Tammy Vopat this week after saying there were errors in Lyon County’s 2022 property tax notice. Meanwhile, Vopat is reserving comment until a news release Thursday with more information.
A news release from Emporia Communications Manager Christine Johnson late Monday says the city’s estimated taxes in the Notice of Estimated Ad Valorem Taxes are not accurate in most cases. Johnson said the trend was towards higher estimates than actual figures, but it’s not immediately clear if this involves the city specifically or a combination of city government and USD 253 Emporia. The statements show Lyon County at mill-levy flat and Emporia with a slight levy increase, but they also show USD 253’s cumulative mill levy at just over 9 mills, well below the roughly 62-mill total for all the district’s line items.
Johnson says residents will be told when new information is available.
Vopat says the county will issue a news release Thursday with more details. City Manager Trey Cocking, meanwhile, says the city will sit down with the county before commenting further. USD 253 Emporia Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Rob Scheib says the district is awaiting guidance from the Kansas State Department of Education and may have its course of action lined up this week.
