By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Municipalities in Barton County encourage good-looking neighborhoods. When the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan expired in several Barton County cities, Barton County stepped in with its own plan. Appraiser Wendy Prosser explained how property owners can use the program to earn a tax rebate when they improve their property with a remodel or by building a new structure.
"For residential properties, if you're doing a $10,000 investment and it ends up raising your assessed value by five percent, or on a commercial you put in a $20,000 investment and it raises your assessed value by 10 percent, we can give you a tax rebate," she said. "It is an incentive for you to not only revitalize maybe what you have and get a tax rebate after the taxes are paid, but also a way to encourage businesses to come in."
The goal of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan is to stabilize neighborhoods by rehabilitating older homes, stimulate residential and business property development, give landlords incentives to offer quality and affordable housing to tenants, and boost construction-related jobs in the county. There are four target areas in the county.
"The first area is all of our rural, along with the east side of Great Bend," Prosser said. "Our second area is the west side of Great Bend. Our third area is all the city limits of Hoisington, and our fourth area is the city limits of Ellinwood."
There is a $20 application fee for the program, available at the Barton County Appraiser's Office or online, and the application should be completed and submitted prior to construction. The appraiser's office will determine if the project qualifies for the rebate, which would be issued upon the completion of payment of taxes the following year.
CLICK HERE to read a detailed copy of the Barton County Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, or CLICK HERE for a printable application.