On Aug. 21, 2006, the Overland Park City Council adopted the 2007 budget and 2007-2011 Capital Improvements Program.

• Budget document
• Property tax (2006 budget year)
• Sales tax
• Expenditures - where the money goes

Budget Highlights:

• The total 2007 budget is $251,380,000. The operating portion of the budget equals $102,320,864, which is a 6.2 percent increase over the adopted 2006 budget. The operating budget pays for on-going city operations, including personnel costs, commodities and services.

Additions for 2007 address priorities identified earlier this year during the Governing Body retreat. These are outlined below:

• Maintenance of low property taxes is achieved in the 2007 recommended budget, which lowers the existing mill levy rate from 9.037 mills to support the 2006 budget to an estimated 8.879 mills to support the 2007 budget. The final mill levy will be determined by the County Clerk in October 2006.

• Providing Quality Public Safety and Safe Neighborhoods through the addition of seven police officers, one sergeant, one tactical operations specialist and 2.5 school crossing guards. Also proposed is additional funding for the Police Department to enhance its crime analysis capabilities and to improve its efficiency by implementing an electronic ticketing system. Additional funding also is provided to the Municipal Court for payment of jail boarding fees.

• Preserving Healthy Neighborhoods through Codes and their Enforcement with the addition of one Environmental Specialist (Property Inspector) and funding for educational materials regarding property maintenance. This funding implements the recent direction of the Community Development Committee to engage in a proactive property maintenance program.
  
  
• Providing Excellent Parks, Recreation and Cultural Amenities through the addition of three full-time and 26.77 FTE part-time positions and funding for the operation of the Overland Park Downtown Community Center scheduled to open in the fall of 2007. The Capital Improvement Program for 2007 includes funding for an entrance building at the Deanna Rose Farmstead as well as funding for public art projects, park improvements and greenway linkages.
  
  
• Maintenance of Quality Infrastructure with the addition of one Stormwater Engineering Technician to support design and construction activities of major stormwater maintenance and capital improvement projects. This priority also is addressed through the continuation of the enhanced infrastructure maintenance program which, in 2007, includes increased funding for the implementation of a microsurfacing street maintenance program.

• Providing Quality Transportation Infrastructure is addressed by capital improvement projects scheduled for 2007 including:

The adopted 2007-2011 CIP can be viewed on-line.   

• Figure your estimated property taxes with our online calculators:
  (for 2006 budget)
• Residential
• Commercial
  
  
• Overland Park currently has the lowest property tax rate of any city in Johnson County and of any first class city in Kansas. The city’s mill rate makes up less than 10 percent of a property owner’s total tax bill.

• Additional information can be found in the 2007 Budget Adoption Packet

For more information, contact Gena McDonald, budget manager, 913/895-6158.