As the day approaches that state lawmakers will take another look at two blight bills, opposition is coming forward even stronger.

A former realtor said he has a solution for blight homes that has already worked in Wichita and other areas.

Bill 2314 and Bill 2238 have both been written to help with the on-going blight issues many cities in Kansas face by bringing forward harsher consequences for owners who don’t comply with fixing their property or who abandon it.

Those consequences could include the property being taken from them and given to a non-profit organization to decide its fate or the city could choose what happens next.

“I find this problematic,” said John Todd, former realtor. “In fact, I consider that wrong.”

Todd wants lawmakers to see other avenues of fighting blight and abandoned homes.

“Bill 2314 empowers local government, cities to take properties and give them to non-profit corporations without paying for them and without first obtaining a legal title,” said Todd.

Todd said the bill should be amended to allow the property to be auctioned off with part of that money going to backed taxes and the rest going to the property’s former owner.

The former relator says instead of bulldozing homes, they should be rehabilitated, which he said could lead to more affordable housing for families and saving homes.

“[This method] saved a house that was worth saving and it’s still on the tax rolls,” Todd said. “This is a win for everyone.”

Local leaders said taking the property away is not the intention.

“We have issues going on in the community that need to be fixed right now,” said Jim Howell, Sedgwick County Commissioner for District 5. “There is nobody in government that can step in to fix the health and safety problem when the home owner or property owner is absolutely not going to fix it.”

Howell has voiced his support for Bill 2238, which is written for unincorporated areas of Sedgwick County, like Oaklawn. Although the bill includes a very small portion of the county, he said it’s still needed.

“We want to make sure that we don’t have a strong-armed government that takes property away from people,” said Howell. “If there is a code violation and if it goes to county court and there’s a conviction, then the County Commission can go to the next step.”

That next step Howell said could be demolition, rehabilitation or another solution. But in order to do that, the bill needs to make it through legislation.

“There are no abatement powers in the county currently, so the county has no right to step in for any type of correction to the issue,” said Howell.

Lawmakers will take another look at both blight bills on Wednesday (Mar. 6) in Topeka.

To read Bill 2314 in its entirety, click here.

To read Bill 2238 in its entirety, click here.