Derby property owners will see a lower mill levy for the sixth straight year, but some residents and one council member say the cuts still aren't enough.

The Derby City Council voted 5-1 on Aug. 25 to adopt a $94.7 million budget for 2027, setting the mill levy at 44.359 mills. That's a decrease of about 0.64 mills from the current rate, according to the Derby Informer.

Council member Mike Neel cast the lone no vote. He said the budget was responsible but questioned whether it went far enough for taxpayers. When council member Wayne Molt Jr. asked Neel what he would cut to shave off a full mill, Neel could not give specifics but maintained that more relief is needed.

"I believe this is a responsible budget. I'm not sure if it's the budget taxpayers deserve," Neel said.

The budget is about $30 million less than the 2026 figure, a drop City Manager Kiel Mangus attributed to major capital improvement projects that were moved up a year on the city's timeline. Mangus said the budget matched his recommended proposal from July with no changes.

Residents push back on tax rate

Several residents spoke against the rate during a public hearing on the revenue neutral rate, or RNR. Kansas law passed in 2021 requires cities to hold a hearing and vote before exceeding the RNR, which is the rate needed to collect the same property tax revenue as the prior year. Derby's RNR for 2027 is 42.416 mills, meaning the approved rate of 44.359 mills exceeds it.

Finance Director Megan Pater reported that Derby's average property valuation increase across all properties was around 6% this year. She noted that all cities in Sedgwick County exceeded the RNR for 2027.

Resident Kaye Miller called the situation "morally wrong" and said many in the community share her concern. Resident Kim Neff told the council she found the rising valuations "ridiculous."

Staff: costs keep climbing

Mangus pointed to COVID-related cost increases as a key pressure on city spending, saying road paving costs have risen 60% since 2020. He pointed to the six-year streak of mill levy cuts as evidence of the city's effort.

"We have ate into the elephant," Mangus said. "That effort's been there since 2021."

Council member Nick Engle defended the spending plan, saying the city has trimmed what it can. Mayor Mark Staats said staff kept the budget tight.

"I think they know things are tight, so they definitely tamped it down," Staats said.

Council member Cris Alber suggested the city communicate its cost-cutting efforts more often, such as through monthly water bills, rather than only in the annual budget book and yearly reports.

Regional comparison

Derby will carry the third-lowest city mill levy rate in the region in 2027, behind only Wichita and Hutchinson, according to council and staff. When all taxing entities are factored in, Derby ranks fourth-lowest overall.

Most 2027 supplemental budget requests involved new staffing. Mangus said the city will delay most hiring until mid-2027, citing uncertainty around a property tax bill the Kansas Legislature is expected to take up when it returns to session in January 2027.