Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service
Originally published on February 11, 2021 2:14 pm
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 bill 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?