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Kansas cattleman says law providing sales tax exemptions on fencing supplies is a mixed bag

A cattle producer says he’s still replacing fences destroyed during a wildfire in December.

Ethan Dickerson from North Central Kansas tells Brownfield repairs started in January, but supply chain disruptions and weather have slowed progress. “Working really, really hard and feeling like we’re getting nothing done. Honestly, I think, we’re probably a quarter of the way done.  This whole rain situation has helped. I’m definitely ok with putting off building fence if it’s going to rain.”

Governor Laura Kelly recently signed a bill that provides a sales tax exemption for supplies needed to replace fence, and he says the law is a mixed bag. “It’s for dang sure a really good idea and it will help some. But, there’s a lot of guys around here that already bought a lot of fencing supplies before this went through. There’s a lot of guys who outsourced out of state because they couldn’t find the supplies locally.”

He says replacing fences could cost more than $16,000 before any disaster relief payments. “6.5 percent off of $15,000 is going to work out to a good deal. It will work out to almost 13 or 14 cents per foot when the government program is paying $2.69.”

Producers who’ve already replaced fence are eligible for a refund and after July 1, 2022, the exemption becomes permanent on all agricultural land.

The legislation also gives counties the authority to provide property tax relief after the governor has declared a disaster and properties or homesteads have been damaged.