Talk about a sticky wicket.
Allen Community College trustees find themselves in an awkward position of notifying property owners their tax bill may increase, even though the college’s ad valorem mill levy rate will not increase, and even if the college spends less for the upcoming school year.
Kara Wheeler, Allen’s acting vice president for finance and operations, spelled out the circumstances surrounding the college’s 2026-27 budget, which is still being put together for formal discussion in August.
First things first.
Allen’s property tax levy of 19.044 mills will not increase, stemming from an agreement the college entered with the Kansas Board of Regents earlier this summer. By accepting a shade over $300,000 in state funding for apprenticeship and business and industry outreach programs, Allen is prohibited from increasing its mill levy.
That typically isn’t much of a concern at Allen, where the mill levy has remained at about 19 mills for the past several years.
But here’s where it gets tricky.
Because of increased property values, the 19.044 mills are expected to generate roughly $3,944,205, or about $154,000 more than that same levy brought in for 2025-26.
And because the state law mandates that taxing entities must announce by mid-July if they expect to bring in more property tax revevenues than the previous year, trustees agreed Monday to send that notification to the county clerk’s office.
Keeping below the revenue neutral rate would require Allen to reduce its levy to 18.299 mills, which would bring in $3,789,000.
But Allen is dealing with other state funding cuts because of changes in funding formulas and because of lower enrollment, with a net loss of $133,726. (Keeping the mill levy at 18.299 would mean a loss of nearly $300,000.)
“I’d love to go in and say we can cut that mill levy and stay below the revenue neutral rate,” Trustee Corey Schinstock said. “But I don’t think that’s realistic.”
Trustees Vicki Curry, Jenny Spillman and Becky Nilges agreed.
“We don’t really have a choice,” Spillman said.
“One of the biggest complaints I hear from the public is taxes,” Curry added. “I feel their pain.”
Nilges said it is incumbent upon the college to spell out to its patrons how the state funding cuts affected their budget.
