Heartland Park owner disagrees with Topeka leader regarding county tax dispute

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Heartland Motorsports Park owner issued a response to city officials, disagreeing with their thoughts on who needs to pay taxes.

Earlier this week, KSNT 27 News reported Heartland Motorsports Park released a letter to “air its grievances” to Shawnee County officials. Topeka City Manager Stephen Wade commented on the tax disputes between Heartland Motorsports Park owner Chris Payne and Shawnee County officials earlier this week.

Wednesday, Payne shared a statement with KSNT 27 News, saying the City of Topeka owned the the property before him and didn’t pay taxes for 25 years.

In the statement, Payne said he offered another payment of more than $800,000 to Shawnee County to end the dispute, but the county declined.

“The City of Topeka is the original owner of Heartland Motorsports Park and for over 25 years. With millions of dollars in bond debt still owed from construction and maintenance cost, one would believe the City would have an interest in seeing Heartland survive and not be taxed out of business by the County. City Manager Wade’s comment “everyone has an obligation to pay taxes” is not completely true. The City never paid taxes during it’s 25 years of owning Heartland, but I have. I paid more money in taxes in just 2016 (at Heartland) than most of people pay collectively their entire lives and I have been arguing with the County ever since to receive a fair valuation and not an valuation 400% more than the purchase price. I offered another payment of $877,822.95 to the County in an effort to settle, but instead the County declined and moved forward raising taxes another 30% in 2023. I guess this is what the beginning of the end looks like.”

Chris Payne