We Want to Hear From Reno County Residents! Didn’t Get a Survey in the Mail? Scan the QR Code to Join In.

Reno County is exploring community investment options and possible sales tax funding. To learn what matters most to you, we’ve partnered with Wichita State University’s Public Policy and Management Center (PPMC) to conduct a resident survey. About 4,000 randomly selected Reno County residents received the survey in November. If you had the survey arrive in your mail box, please respond by filling out the paper copy or using the QR on the paperwork to answer the survey questions.

Ever wonder about the difference between sales tax and property tax? Sales tax is paid by everyone when they shop - visitors, residents, renters, and property owners. Property tax is paid annually by property owners, though renters typically pay it through their rent since landlords factor it into housing costs. 

Here in Reno County, using 2024 data, our current 1-cent sales tax offsets the county's total mill levy by 7.96 mills.  The total county levy in 2024 was 35.504 mills. 

The difference essentially boils down to two different ways to fund county services - one spreads the cost across everyone who spends money here, the other is based on property taxation requires those living in and invested in Reno County to pay for all the local services. Both have their place in keeping our community running!

Did you know Reno County shares sales tax revenue with all our cities? The current 1-cent sales tax gets distributed proportionally based on population and property taxes levied - so all 15 cities in our county receive funding to help with their operations. 

How do cities use this money? Overwhelmingly for general operations rather than specific projects. We’re talking water and sewer systems, road maintenance, building repairs, equipment needs - the day-to-day essentials that keep communities running. Cities rely on this funding because they simply don't have enough revenue on their own to keep up with community needs. 

Yoder is not listed because Yoder, Kansas is officially an unincorporated community, which means it is not an incorporated town or city. It does not have its own city government and it does not levy or collect city taxes. All local government services for the Yoder area are provided directly by Reno County or a township such as the maintenance of township roads if they exist, just like other unincorporated parts of the county.

When we asked city officials about priorities going forward, infrastructure topped the list everywhere. It shows how valuable this county partnership really is!