Earlier this summer, we asked our readers about the issues you wanted to hear the candidates running for Board of County Commissioners chair address in the lead up to the Nov. 8 general election.
Based on the input we received, we developed a five-item questionnaire for the two candidates running in this nonpartisan race to succeed outgoing commission chair Ed Eilert.
We’ll be publishing the candidates’ responses to one item per day each day this week. We’ve already published their responses regarding election integrity in Johnson County. Today we’re publishing the candidates’ responses to our second question:
“Many Johnson County residents have seen the county’s appraised values of their homes going up double digits year after year without corresponding property tax rate reductions to offset them — meaning people’s out-of-pocket tax expenses have risen dramatically in recent years. What role do you think the county government needs to play in addressing rising property taxes here?”
Charlotte O’Hara 
County government must take the lead and set the example of fiscal responsibility for the rest of the taxing entities by not increasing property taxes. We must adopt zero based budgeting instead of the current philosophy of we’ll just add on to what each department received last year. The residents of Johnson County, especially those on fixed incomes, cannot continue to absorb the ever increasing burden of rising property taxes.
Mike Kelly 
As Johnson County homeowners, my wife and I personally understand the concern of rising property taxes. It’s an issue I hear about often from residents and one we must take steps to address.
During my time as Mayor of Roeland Park, no other city in Johnson County moved as aggressively as we did to reduce the property tax rates within our purview. Since being elected in November 2018, I oversaw three mill levy cuts totalling 18% of Roeland Park’s mill levy. And we made these significant reductions without cutting back on services, public safety offices, or city staff.
We made that work by welcoming new businesses into our city – expanding the tax base and thereby relieving the burden on the shoulders of residential property owners.
But with property values and therefore tax bills skyrocketing, we knew the cuts we could make in Roeland Park simply weren’t enough for some folks. So we looked for other innovative ways to address this issue for the most vulnerable. We started a property tax assistance program that, based solely on income, helps pay the Roeland Park share of property taxes to those in need, including seniors on a fixed income. We also created the Neighbors helping Neighbors program to help make minor home repairs or address exterior blight issues through the help of the Roeland Park Public Works Department combined with volunteer manpower from Shawnee Mission and Bishop Miege High School students.
The County Commission must always be a good steward of taxpayer resources. We can ensure a fair and transparent appraisal process. And we can do this while maintaining the world-class services Johnson County residents expect, so long as we explore ways to innovate our County service model when appropriate.
On Tuesday, we will publish the candidates’ responses to our third question:
“The county played a central role in setting and enforcing the public health policies related to the pandemic — including business closures and school mask mandates. Do you believe the county’s approach to managing the pandemic was a success? Why or why not? What should the county do differently if a public health emergency arises in the future?”
