State Sen. Caryn Tyson apologized to Iola Council members Tuesday evening for saying Iola has the highest commercial property tax rates in the nation.
Tyson made the accusation at Mildred’s May 9 town hall meeting.
Register reporter Sarah Haney, who attended the Mildred event, reported Tyson’s statement along with a follow-up interview with Deputy Appraiser Danielle Louk, who questioned Tyson’s assertion.
In Haney’s story, Louk said Iola’s total mill levy is not exceptionally high among the state’s cities.
The levy is determined by how much the city, local school district USD 257, Allen Community College, Allen County, Southwind Extension No. 10 and the state of Kansas request in funding.
Iola Administrator Matt Rehder and Mayor Steve French also took issue with Tyson’s allegation, writing her a detailed refutation substantiating that Iola’s commercial property taxes are not even the highest in Allen County, let alone the country.
The Register also printed the city officials’ letter.
Tyson initially said her information came second-hand from a meeting of the Kansas Legislature and as such she couldn’t be held responsible for its content.
In fact, she said, she’s repeated the misinformation in several recent speeches with no one telling her otherwise.
The senator then questioned the Register’s account of the Mildred meeting, saying it has often misconstrued her remarks.
Knowing she has Tyson’s remarks on tape, Haney, and the Register, are confident of her reporting.
By meeting’s end, Tyson yielded.
“If the study is inaccurate, that’s fine. I stand corrected.”
