This Wichita suburb is asking voters to approve a sales tax. Here are details

People shopping in Maize may soon have to pay a slightly higher premium for purchases — 1% to be exact. Maize voters will go to the polls Aug. 5 to decide whether to implement a one cent sales tax. 

The tax would start January 1 and last until 2036. 

Most — 85% — of the revenue would be used for streets, sidewalks and related drainage projects. The other 15% would go for property tax relief. 

“We looked at the landscape of what other folks have done around the Wichita area and where other communities around the state have been able to be successful with a sales tax. We said ‘This makes a lot of sense for us to diversify our revenue sources here in Maize,’” said city manager Nick Gregory.

The city estimates the tax would raise over $670,000 a year, at least $6.7 million over the decade. 

“We knew that that could have quite a bit more impact than just than what a mill levy can do, which for us generates, as of last year, about $100,000 (per mill, per year),” Gregory said.

Haysville, Derby and Park City each already have their own 1% tax. Wichita doesn’t have a city wide sales tax.

Kansas has a 6.5% sales tax and Sedgwick County has a 1% sales tax. 

This means that people already pay a 7.5% sales tax in Maize and the proposal would raise it to 8.5%.

Why a sales tax

Maize said it found that residents support the idea of a sales tax in a recent survey and focus groups conducted by the Public Policy & Management Center at Wichita State. The responses shaped the proposal that is on the ballot. 

The survey was sent to a sample of residents and received about 370 responses, roughly 11% of the surveys sent out. It asked questions about residents’ attitudes toward community improvements, the tax rate they would approve of and what the money should be used for. 

Participants slightly favored using the tax for infrastructure over parks and recreation development. And 68% favored a one cent sales tax, as opposed to half or two cent tax. 

The survey asked people if they would approve of improvements in two sections of road — 119th between 29th and 45th and the Tyler Road and 45th Street corridor — as well as new sidewalks in neighborhoods. Gregory said that these areas would be where the funds are initially used, but that additional projects could follow. 

He said a sales tax would help Maize get revenue from people coming through and doing business in the city, instead of just taking in taxes from property owners. In turn, it would help pay for the roads that everyone uses.

“A lot of the traffic generated in Maize either comes from the school district or it comes from people getting off Maize Road and driving through Maize,” Gregory said. “So why not develop a sales tax that’s able to take advantage of all the potential taxpayers that could contribute to it?”

Hunter Rubin, a homeowner in Maize, said the new revenue will help pay for needed maintenance and improvements, especially in problem areas like those identified in the survey. 

“That’s definitely a big need. Not just Maize, I think the whole metro needs big road work,” Rubin said. “Hopefully once they’re done, they’re able to use it and keep working on more and more areas. Because it’s a fast growing city. You’ve got to stay ahead of it. You can’t fall behind.”

Maize grew by almost 68% from 2010 to 2020, according to census data gathered by the University of Kansas. It’s one of the fastest growing cities in the state. 

Lowering property tax rate

Maize would use the other 15% of the sales tax revenue to decrease the property tax rate. Gregory said property owners would likely start seeing the impact in 2027. 

“We would collect taxes through 2026 and when we set our budget for 2027 we would reduce it. We would go in and reduce our mill levy based upon what we estimate we’ll generate in a year from that 15% of that sales tax,” he said. “Right now, we think we can reduce it a mill — pretty close to a mill, right off the bat.”

While the city plans to lower the mill levy, property taxes are determined by a formula that multiplies the mill levy by the assessed value of a property. An increase in property value might mean an individual’s property taxes could stay level or go up depending on whether the assessed value of the property went up.

And, Gregory said, it’s hard to know how much revenue the sales tax would actually bring in.

“The estimates were pretty good, but I’ve talked to other communities that have done a sales tax. It may actually generate more than what you anticipate that it will generate. Could be less if we have some sort of a low economy, or something happens and people aren’t spending.”

Rubin said while he supports the sales tax, he doesn’t agree with using part of the money to lower property taxes.

“I think that that 15% for property tax should be used elsewhere, because, yeah, maybe I’ll get 200 (or) 300 bucks from the city. Okay, that’s cool, but I’d rather have it be used for another park or a library or something that everybody can get use out of, not just me pocketing it,” he said. 

“And then in my neighborhood, there’s a handful of homes that people rent out. And who’s to say the people that own those homes — they might get a couple hundred bucks back from the city, but they’re not going to take 10 (or) 20 bucks a month off of rent. They’re just going to take that and pocket it.”

Business in Maize

Rubin said he doesn’t tend to spend much money in Maize. 

“It might not even make it to $50 a month,” he said. “Because, you know, Target and Walmart and Dillon’s, those are all in Wichita, so all my big spending is going down that direction.”

Still, Maize has its share of businesses that would need to charge the 1% increase to customers.

Lesley Woodard who, with her husband Gerald, owns Woodard Mercantile in Maize, said she isn’t worried about the tax hurting business. 

“A lot of the surrounding towns have their own sales tax,” Woodard said. 

Rubin said it wouldn’t change his spending habits. 

“1%, I’m not even going to notice,” he said. “It’s going to cost me no more than, like, $1 a month.”

Maize sales tax on the ballot

The sales tax issue will be on the primary ballot only for voters who live in Maize on Aug. 5. If passed, it would take effect January 1 and last for 10 years. 

This is the question voters will see on their ballot: 

“Shall the City of Maize, Kansas be authorized to levy a one percent (1.0%) City-wide retailers’ sales tax, with (1) 85% of such tax to be applied to pay the costs of maintenance, repair and improvements to streets and sidewalks and any related drainage improvements in the City, (2) 15% of such tax to be applied to reduce ad valorem property taxes in the City, and with collection of such sales tax to commence on January 1, 2026, and to expire on December 31, 2036?”

Gregory said residents can reach out to city staff or council members if they have questions. Their contact information can be found at cityofmaize.org. 

You can check your voter registration and find your polling place or request a mail-in ballot at sedgwickcounty.org/elections. 

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is July 29 and mail-in ballots must be turned in by Aug. 5 to be counted. 

This story was originally published July 26, 2025 at 11:48 AM.