<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613149934279.png" alt="Some businesses were closed during the pandemic. That's prompted legislation calling for counties to rebate property taxes to land owners hurt by the shutdowns. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Some businesses were closed during the pandemic. That's prompted legislation calling for counties to rebate property taxes to land owners hurt by the shutdowns. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN KORANDA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-11/business-owners-say-kansas-counties-that-ordered-pandemic-shutdowns-should-refund-property-taxes">Kansas News Service</a>The pandemic caused counties across the state to issue varying levels
 of business shutdown orders meant to slow the spread of a 
life-threatening virus.Now businesses that lost their ability to 
make money during the pandemic want a tax refund for the time they were 
forced to hang “closed” signs.Lawmakers heard competing arguments about property tax rebates this week.Businesses
 say the closures put them on the brink of shutting down for good. Local
 governments warn they don’t have the resources to be offering mass tax 
refunds.A pending <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2142/" target="_blank">bill</a>
 is a first step in a larger discussion looming before lawmakers: Should
 either the state or local governments be required to compensate the 
businesses that public officials ordered to close during the pandemic?“We are fighting for the survival for our business,” Nick and Jake’s restaurants co-owner Kevin Timmons told lawmakers.The
 legislation would require counties to refund taxes paid by property 
owners during times the county ordered businesses closed.Timmons 
said businesses like his restaurants in the Kansas City area had to 
close by government orders and should get a break on taxes because of 
it.“Reduced revenues through lockdowns and restrictions have 
forced us to make choices that were previously unthinkable,” he told 
lawmakers. “Do we pay property taxes or do we pay payroll?”Government officials argue it’s not as simple as just giving businesses back the taxes they paid.“The
 assumption of the legislation is we’re sitting on piles of money,” 
Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell said. “That’s not true. We’ve 
actually spent those dollars providing services.”The Kansas 
Association of Counties said it’s hard to estimate the full impact of 
the bill, but in Johnson County alone the cost of the refunds could 
total $177 million.Statewide, KAC Legislative Policy Director Jay
 Hall estimated the bill could mean counties refunding a half billion 
dollars in property taxes. He said that would cause a tax shift. The 
refunds to business property owners would have to be paid with taxes on 
homeowners.“That’s going to ultimately drive up taxes on our 
residential taxpayers,” Hall told lawmakers, “because the county is 
going to have to get that money from somewhere.”Hall pointed to 
potential problems with the wording of the bill. For example, a 
restaurant owner may lease a building and pay the property taxes through
 their rent, but the bill says the owner of the property would be the 
one to receive the tax refund.Republican Rep. Samantha Poetter 
said lawmakers need to take action or struggling businesses might close 
for good and take away all the tax revenue they generate.“If 
something isn’t done to relieve this issue … the county is going to be 
out a lot more,” she said. “I’m looking at it as a long-term solution.”Deborah Shaar of KMUW contributed to this report.Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank"> @kprkoranda</a>.

Business owners: Kan. that ordered shutdowns should refund property taxes