The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday directed city staff to cap the mill levy increase for the 2026 budget at 1.75 mills, trimming back the previously proposed cap of 2 mills at last month’s budget work session.

That would take the mill levy to 54.859 and could mean as much as an 8.5% average increase in property taxes for Manhattan residents, based on a 5% average increase in existing, single-family home valuations.

For example, a homeowner who paid $610.75 in property taxes on a $100,000 home in 2025 would pay $662.42 on a home worth $105,000 in 2026, or  8.45%.

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Deputy city manager Jason Hilgers presented a detailed overview of property valuations as the city prepares its 2026 budget.

“We had about a 3.7% growth in Riley County and we had about a 5.5% growth in Pottawatomie County,” he said. “Together that made up about a 3.82% increase. So we grew by $27,540 per mill.”

He said in order for the city to generate the same amount of property tax revenue as it did the year prior, the mill levy would need to be 51.156. Last year, the mill levy was 53.109.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more local news.

The post Manhattan commission begins 2026 budget plans appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Deputy city manager Jason Hilgers presented a detailed overview of property valuations as the city prepares its 2026 budget.

“We had about a 3.7% growth in Riley County and we had about a 5.5% growth in Pottawatomie County,” he said. “Together that made up about a 3.82% increase. So we grew by $27,540 per mill.”

He said in order for the city to generate the same amount of property tax revenue as it did the year prior, the mill levy would need to be 51.156. Last year, the mill levy was 53.109.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more local news.

The post Manhattan commission begins 2026 budget plans appeared first on News Radio KMAN.