HUMBOLDT — Though Humboldt residents Rex Heape and Greg Kaufman attended Monday’s council meeting with the purpose to complain about what they feel is runaway spending, they perhaps left feeling their local tax dollars are in good hands.
As part of the council’s annual public hearings on the budget, Heape and Kaufman complained about what they perceive as the high cost of living in Humboldt and asked that the city rein in its spending.
“It seems like taxes are going up all the time,” Heape said. “And I know from talking to other people that they are concerned about it too. Some of them told me they’re even considering moving out of Humboldt because of high taxes.”
Heape complained especially about property taxes, saying “They’re seven times higher,” than when he moved here 45 years ago.
Kaufman said the city’s rising property valuations and its sales tax rates are a problem. To the latter, he used a recent example to prove his point.
“Last winter I bought a 2011 truck in Iola. When I went to get my license tag at the courthouse, I was told I owed another $230 in taxes because I was ‘privileged’ to live in Humboldt.
“That was a $35,000 truck,” Kaufman said.
City Administrator Cole Herder explained that Kaufman was charged the additional fee because in 2019, Humboldt voters passed a 10-year half-cent “road tax” dedicated to improving its streets.
Altogether, Humboldt’s sales taxes are 1.75 percent, the highest in the county. The rate in Iola, Gas and LaHarpe is 1 percent; Moran’s is 0.5 percent.
Residents also pay a 6.5% state sales tax as well as a 1.25% county sales tax. A ballot measure in the Nov. 5 election includes a request to increase the county rate to 1.75%
If that passes, Humboldt’s total sales tax rate would be 10%.
Kaufman said the high rates hurt the poor the hardest.
“A lot of people are worse off than myself, and those are the ones we need to be concerned about, our elderly and those who truly are on a fixed budget. It makes you wonder how they do it; how they get by,” he said.
Kaufman also questioned the city’s budget report that reflects an $81,602 increase for 2025 and includes a $2.2 million carryover from last year.
“If you have a carryover, it would seem like you’d be able to lower the (mill levy) rate a year and then dive into it and raise it maybe later.
