photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Douglas County Commission meeting room is pictured on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

Douglas County staff have proposed a $201.5 million budget for 2027 that keeps the property tax rate flat, with budget hearings beginning next week.

The proposed property tax rate, also known as the mill levy, is 40.669 mills. One mill equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That rate could change, however, as county commissioners have the final say during the budget process. The process begins next week when commissioners meet with county agencies and departments to review budget requests.

With the proposed budget, a homeowner with a $600,000 home would pay $2,805 in property taxes to the county under the proposed mill levy. A $300,000 home would have a bill of $1,405 and a $200,000 home would incur $935 in taxes.

The tax a property owner pays is determined by both the mill levy and the property’s assessed value, so even if tax rates stay steady or are lowered, rising property values might still cause tax bills to go up for many residents. The total assessed property valuation increased 4.9% in 2026, compared to a 5.7% increase the previous year.

As the Journal-World reported, in May, commissioners directed county staff to put together a proposed 2027 budget with a flat mill levy. County Administrator Sarah Plinsky told the Journal-World on Wednesday that it was challenging to do so with the assessed valuation increase at 4.9%.

“To be a flat mill levy at 4.9%, we had significantly less room to work with under that levy to be able to afford what we wanted to afford inside the budget,” Plinsky said.

Plinsky said “if commissioners want, or if the community wants, us to expand services, do something new, do something different, then those decisions will be decided by the county commissioners during the upcoming budget process.

Commissioners will have a chance to hear about more than 50 additional funding requests at budget hearings next week from 9 a.m. to noon from Monday through Thursday, July 6-9 in the Douglas County Commission meeting room at 1100 Massachusetts St. Here is the full schedule of budget hearings and deliberations, which is subject to change:

Monday, July 6

County staff will provide an overview of the 2027 proposed budget at 9 a.m. on Monday and following the presentation will be discussions with departments with additional funding requests.

The partners requesting additional funding include the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, the Cardinal Housing Network, Family Promise, DCCCA, HeadQuarters Kansas and Heartland Community Health Center.

Tuesday, July 7

The departments meeting with commissioners on Tuesday include the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County District Court, Kansas Holistic Defenders, Douglas County Extension Council and Douglas County’s Historical Societies.

Wednesday, July 8

The departments with additional funding requests meeting with commissioners on Wednesday are Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, Baldwin City Chamber, Baldwin City Economic Development Corporation, Economic Development Corporation of Lawrence and Douglas County, KU Innovation Park, KU Small Business Development Center, Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, Center for Supportive Communities, O’Connell Children’s Shelter and Van Go.

Thursday, July 9

The departments meeting with commissioners on Thursday are the Senior Resource Center, Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center, Willow Domestic Violence Center, Douglas County Administration, Just Food, Salvation Army, Douglas County Zoning and Codes, Douglas County Treasurer and Douglas County IT.

Friday, July 10

Plinsky told the Journal-World Friday could potentially be set aside as a follow-up with Consolidated Fire District #1 to discuss the department’s proposed budget for 2027, or it will be the first day of budget deliberations for the county’s budget.

From Monday, July 13 – Wednesday, July 15, from 9 a.m. to noon, county commissioners are scheduled to deliberate the budget for 2027.

The community can attend the public hearings and deliberations either in-person or via Zoom. The meeting details are available at https://www.dgcoks.gov/county-commission. While no public comment is taken at the hearings or deliberations, community members can provide written comments to commissioners via email or attend the County Commission business meetings.

An additional hearing is scheduled at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22 for the county’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan.

Commissioners will consider adopting the final 2027 budget following a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The full proposed budget can be accessed on the county’s website at https://www.dgcoks.gov/administration/budget.