Overland Park’s budget for next year imposes a small increase in the rate homeowners will pay for their city taxes and brings in more revenue than this year.
The 2027 budget is nearly $516 million, up 3.5% or $17 million from 2026. It also slightly increases the property tax rate to 14.58 mills, up from 14.54 in 2026.
So, an increase in the mill levy rate paired with rising property valuations means many homeowners can expect to see the city portion of their property tax bill go up.
Still, Overland Park has the lowest property tax rate of all Johnson County cities by a wide margin, and it also boasts one of the lowest municipal tax rates in Kansas.
On Monday, the Overland Park City Council voted unanimously to exceed the revenue neutral rate and to approve the full 2026 budget package and five-year capital improvement plan.
“I think we’ve put together a budget that really represents a lot of the priorities that our community is looking for,” Councilmember Melissa Cheatham said.
How they voted
Here’s how members of the city council voted:
• Logan Heley: Yes
• Holly Grummert: Yes
• Melissa Cheatham, council president: Yes
• Drew Mitrisin: Yes
• Richard Borlaza: Yes
• Amy Scrivner: Yes
• Gregg Riess: Yes
• Amy Antrim: Yes
• Andrew Payne: Yes
• Inas Younis: Yes
• Josh Beck: Yes
• Christopher Newlin: Yes
The breakdown: How will the 2027 budget affect your tax bill?
For 2027, Overland Park will raise slightly the city’s property tax rate to 14.58 mills. The property tax rate, sometimes referred to as the mill levy rate, dictates how much a property owner pays in taxes to the city based on the assessed value of their property.
According to real estate statistics maintained by the Johnson County Appraiser’s Office, Overland Park’s average residential property value is $555,643, up about 5.5% from last year.
To calculate what your actual tax bill to the city will be, multiply the value of your home by .115 (the residential assessment rate). From there, take that number and divide it by 1,000. Then, multiply the result by the proposed mill levy rate of 14.58.
For the average home in Overland Park, that means about $931 in property taxes owed to the city in 2026.
For comparison, last year, the city’s average homeowner paid about $882 in property taxes to Overland Park.
Keep in mind: Your total annual property tax bill will also include rates set by other taxing authorities, including Johnson County and the school district in which you reside.
Find Overland Park’s full budget packet here.
What is the revenue neutral rate?
State statute requires taxing bodies like Overland Park to collect the same amount of money in property taxes each year, regardless of new growth or inflation. If they exceed that amount, they are required to hold hearings and follow additional steps.
To have a revenue neutral budget for 2026, Overland Park would need to lower its mill levy to 14.03 mills and cut a few million dollars from its budget.
In the past, members of the city council have been critical of the state-mandated budgeting standard that the Kansas Legislature — which imposed the rule in 2021 — does not itself abide by when developing state budgets.
Mark Lanzrath, the lone speaker during the budget public hearings on Monday, urged the city to take that step to keep the budget revenue neutral for 2027, and instead cover any shortfalls by spending down the city’s financial reserves.
“It is the public’s money in the reserves,” he said.
As an alternative, he suggested taking funding from a capital project that’s still a few years away to cover any holes, though he did not say which project specifically.
Keep reading: With money leftover, Overland Park reopens property tax relief program. Do you qualify?
