Tax rate is lower
The Parsons City Commission on Wednesday approved the city’s 2026 budget that reflects a slightly lower tax rate.
The decision followed a public hearing during which no one spoke.
The 2026 tax rate will be 57.586 mills to support city operations. That’s expected to bring in $3,505,820 in tax revenue (this amount includes the separate library and industrial fund levies) based on the city’s total valuation of $60,879,967. The mill rate is slightly lower for 2026 (it was 57.899 for this year), but the city’s valuation increased by about $800,000 so every mill levied will bring in slightly more money.
The city’s total budget authority is $23,105,896.
The owner of a $100,000 house in Parsons will pay $3.60 less in 2026 to support city operations. The 2025 mill rate cost that homeowner $665.84 to support city operations. In 2026, that amount will drop to $662.24, as long as the value of the home did not increase.
The city would have had to levy a mill rate of 57.139 for 2026 to raise the same amount from property taxes as in 2025, which is called the revenue neutral rate.
Hearing on unsafe structures
Commissioners also conducted a hearing on nine unsafe structures. After discussion, commissioners agreed to table action on three of the properties, giving the owners until Oct. 30 to come up with a plan to improve or raze the structures. The remaining owners have until Oct. 2 to get plans and permits to repair or raze the structures or the city will demolish the structures and charge the cost to the properties.
Property owners Louis Leroy (2519 Crawford), Robin Utemark and Diana Journot (2920 Frisco) and
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William Newton (2131 Crawford) have the extra time to work toward a solution. Three parcels are tied to Newton’s property because county maps make it appear that the lot at 2131 Crawford bleeds onto the other two lots, both of which Newton owns.
Leroy discussed issues with the property at 2519 Crawford, including the front porch, and wanted more time to consider his options and remove items stored in the home.
Utemark and Journot indicated that the house at 2920 Frisco has been in the family for five generations and they want to clean it up and see what can be done about repairing the house. If that’s not possible, commissioners heard that the landowners want to retain outbuildings. The owners heard that zoning laws require accessory structures to be razed the same time as the primary residence, but the owners told commissioners that the newer garage on the property has its own address.
Newton wants to make repairs to the house at 2131 Crawford, which is a former gas station on the corner lot. He told commissioners the north wall needs attention and he has other issues to address. Commissioner Leland Crooks said he would hate to see the structure razed, especially after Steve Hurt (a commercial art instructor at Labette Community College at the time) remodeled the building in the late 1980s into an apartment. Hurt completed the project in the summer of 1989 (the Sun published a story on it in September 1989) and he died in November that year.
Properties that have until Oct. 2 to take action are: 3111 Washington, 2120 Crawford, 2122 Crawford, 2524 Gabriel, 3014 Frisco and 2314 Main. Paul Marks wanted more time and said he could fix the fire damaged home at 2314 Main, but commissioners denied the delay given that the house is on a main arterial road and the amount of visible and interior damage.
In other business, the commission: — Heard that the Parsons Police Department met all 137 standards for its operations in a mock accreditation visit this week. Three assessors from out of the area visited and reviewed policies and procedures and other areas of police operations, Chief Robert Spinks said. The department had zero deficiencies, and a final visit will be scheduled later for the department to become accredited. Of the 364 agencies in the state, only 10 reached accreditation, Spinks told commissioners. He said 50 other agencies in the state are in the self-assessment phase like the PPD.
— Approved the final payment of $21,000 to Gage Guiot for work on the mural on the east side of the building in the 1800 block of Broadway. Guiot was paid $42,000 for the work, $10,000 from the Kansas Arts Commission, $15,000 from local donations and $17,000 from the city economic development and tourism funds.
— Agreed to close downtown streets from 4:30 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 23 for the annual Commercial Bank Monster March.
— Agreed to trade in a 2023 Peterbilt 20 yard trash truck (trade in value $190,000) for a 2025 Peterbilt with a 20-yard Loadmaster Legacy packer from Truck Component Services. The purchase price with trade in is $29,892.
— Agreed to close Main Street and part of 18th Street from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 4 for the PK Festival of Art.
— Agreed to allow Gentiva Hospice the use of the Seaton Family Pavilion in Forest Park as well as other amenities for is second annual Memorial Walk on Oct. 10. The event will include live music, bounce houses and food vendors and it will run from 4 to 8:30 p.m.
— Agreed to close streets around Forest Park on Saturday, Oct. 18, for the Parsons Ministerial Association’s annual crop walk to fight hunger. A worship service is planned for 1:30 p.m. with the walk to start at 2.
