By ALIN HETTHays Post
Property values in Ellis County continued to increase in 2026, but declines in oil valuations and personal property assessments largely offset those gains, leaving the county's overall assessed valuation nearly unchanged from a year ago.
Eugene Rupp, Ellis County appraiser, presented the county's annual valuation update to county commissioners, reporting that total real estate appraised values increased 3.2% from 2025 to 2026.
Of that increase, 0.8% was attributable to new construction projects added to the tax roll during the past year. Excluding those new construction projects, existing property values/real estate increased approximately 2.4%.
Rupp said the new construction figure reflects taxable development projects throughout Ellis County, including developments such as The Grove from Grow Hays and other commercial and residential construction. Tax-exempt projects, including the new Hays High School improvements and other school facilities, are not included in the county's assessed valuation totals.
While real estate values increased, oil valuations saw a significant decline.
Rupp reported that assessed valuation for oil interests decreased approximately 30.2% from the previous year. The decline was largely driven by a lower state-established oil price used for valuation purposes.
"The price of a barrel of oil dropped 23% for 2026,” Rupp said. “So we did see the overall valuation in oil decrease quite substantially because of that drop in oil.”.
The Kansas Department of Revenue annually establishes the oil price used in the valuation process. For tax year 2026, the valuation price was approximately $14 per barrel lower than the price used for tax year 2025.
Rupp said the pricing decision was made before recent international events affected energy markets.
"All of this was done before the events that we're seeing overseas right now have occurred that have driven the price of oil," Rupp said.
Rupp also said current overseas tensions have contributed to higher oil prices and market uncertainty. He said prices could return to more stable levels once international shipping concerns are resolved and normal traffic resumes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Personal property assessed valuation also declined, dropping 11.9% from 2025.
According to Rupp, the decrease was primarily the result of House Bill 2231, passed by the Kansas Legislature in 2025, which exempted several categories of personal property from taxation beginning in 2026: boats, golf carts, trailers, UTVs, ATVs and similar property were removed from the tax rolls, resulting in a reduction of approximately $1.2 million in assessed valuation.
Comparing the November 2025 abstract values to the valuations certified this year, Rupp reported that Ellis County's total assessed valuation increased by 0.1%.
Looking ahead, Rupp said Ellis County's real estate market appears relatively stable.
"I can tell you right now, our market is pretty stable," Rupp said. "At this point in time, I'm not seeing anything different, but we're still early into this year."
CARE Council Recommends Funding
The CARE Council was created at the request of Ellis County Commissioners to make funding recommendations for agencies requesting county support. This marks the second year the county has used the formal review process.
Funding for CARE Council allocations is capped using a formula based on three-tenths of a mill. For the 2027 budget cycle, the cap was calculated using the 2025 mill levy and totals approximately $162,125. That amount has already been included in the county’s preliminary 2027 budget, though final funding will not be available until January 2027, pending approval of the overall budget, which is expected to be finalized in the later half of 2026.
Hali Bielser, CARE Council chair, presented the recommendations to county commissioners, outlining both the funding process and the proposed allocations for local agencies.
Bielser explained that the council reviews applications submitted through an online portal, conducts site visits in January and then makes program-specific funding recommendations.
The funding structure also includes requirements tied to state statute for alcohol tax revenues. Under Kansas law, counties receive a portion of liquor-by-the-drink tax revenues, with funds divided into three categories: general fund use, parks and recreation and alcohol and drug programs.
For 2027, the council is recommending splitting those funds evenly between Dream Inc. and the Smoky Hill Foundation for Chemical Dependency. The CARE Council’s recommendations will now be considered by the Ellis County Commission as part of the 2027 budget process.
Commissioners Neal Younger spoke on the matter and thanked the Care Council for their work.
“You don't know how important all these different organizations are, until you need them,” Younger said. “Its just a matter of when you need them.”
Below is a list of all the recommendations by the Care Council.
Community and Neighborhood Services:
- First Call for Help – Local Assistance: $2,100
- First Call for Help – Backpacks for Kids: $1,000
- Heartland Community Foundation – Match Month / Ellis County Legacy Fund: $5,000
- Ellis Alliance – Sustainability Program: $5,000
- Silver-Haired Legislature Representative Program: $500
Children and Youth Services:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters – Mentoring Program: $7,500
- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the High Plains – Secure Futures: $6,000
- Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center – Hays Child Advocacy Center: $10,000
Health and Rehabilitation Services:
- Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging – Required Match: $30,000
- Dream Inc. – 50% of alcohol tax allocation
- Smoky Hill Foundation for Chemical Dependency – 50% of alcohol tax allocation
Family and Individual Services:
- Ellis Nutrition Center – Meals for Senior Citizens: $25,302
- Victoria Meal Site: $2,504
- Hays Senior Center Meal Site: $39,565
- Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services – Safe Shelter: $10,000
- Foster Grandparent Program: $7,453
- Senior Companion Program: $11,000
Other Business
- The Commissioners voted to approve a motion authorizing the Ellis County Library Board to obtain bonding insurance, consistent with its June 3, 2026 vote. The insurance is to cover two positions, President and Treasurer, with a total bond amount of $160,000 for both positions.
- The Commissioners voted to approve a request for a conditional-use permit for outdoor storage from The Planning and Zoning Commission. The request allows a property in Munjor to be used for outdoor storage. The Ellis County Planning and Zoning Committee had previously approved the request.
- The Commission voted to approve a motion authorizing the County Clerk to destroy the ballots from the following elections: the 2024 Presidential Preference Primary Election, the 2024 Primary Election and the 2025 General City/School Election. Eugene Rupp and Mike Weber were appointed to oversee the destruction process.