County appraiser mails 2026 notices and cites House vote on exemption for low-production oil leases

The Sherman County appraisal office notified commissioners it is mailing 2026 real-estate valuation notices early because the March mailing date falls on a weekend. The appraisal representative said staff largely "rolled" valuations from last year unless a property had sales or other changes; farm homestead values were down roughly 0.8% and residential values were essentially unchanged.

The appraisal speaker told the board the Kansas House passed legislation 119-0 that, if enacted by the Senate, would allow county appraisers to grant exemptions for low-production oil leases without taking each case to the Board of Tax Appeals. The speaker said the change would streamline some exemptions and reduce lengthy appeals that can take one or two years.

The appraiser reminded the public that residents have until April 1 to schedule an informal review of their notices with the appraisal office and encouraged anyone with questions to call the office rather than the commissioners' office.

Why it matters: Property valuations affect individual tax bills through the mill levy process; an enacted change giving more direct authority to county appraisers would reduce the number of Board of Tax Appeals cases and change local administrative procedures. The board asked staff to be available for calls and to explain valuation changes to residents who request an informal review.

What the appraiser said
- "We pretty much rolled a lot of stuff from last year unless they had changes or sold," the appraisal representative said, explaining the majority of notices used prior-year values with limited adjustments.
- On the proposed exemption authority, the appraiser told the board, "the house passed it a 119 to 0, and, hopefully, the senate will pass it."