Shawnee County could reap more than $100,000 in additional property taxes as a result of a contract with a company that will provide aerial analysis of changes made to parcels of land in the county.
Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook voted 3-0 at Monday’s meeting to approve an $11,400 contract with Minneapolis-based Pushpin, the company that will provide the service.
Shawnee County Appraiser Steve Bauman said Pushpin will provide “aerial imagery” that will show changes made to parcels between 2014 and 2018. The aerial imagery, produced by photos taken from airplanes, will show specific changes to properties throughout the county, ranging from new decks to swimming pools to home additions to outbuildings.
Bauman said Pushpin will compare the aerial photos to determine if changes have been made to a property. Pushpin also will check county records to determine whether permits for the changes had been filed.
Changes identified by Pushpin could result in higher taxes for property owners in cases where building permits hadn’t been filed, Bauman said.
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)