In a big loss for Johnson County, the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals ruled Friday that the county had overvalued Walmart and Sam’s Club properties by $60 million, charging them millions too much in taxes.
This is the latest in an ongoing legal battle between Johnson County and large retail stores to determine the proper way to measure the value of commercial real estate. At stake is tens of millions of tax dollars for schools and services. The case is one of a number filed by Target, Home Depot and other big-box stores in the county to challenge their property tax appraisals, which rose sharply from 2015 to 2016.
A final decision could be years away, as appeals could go all the way to the Kansas Supreme Court.
The order Friday was a summary decision, and both sides asked the board for a more detailed explanation. That will be provided in the next few months.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)