info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

State revenue beats estimates by $77M in May, up $158M for fiscal year

info2019-06-04T21:21:59-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Kansas tax collections for May exceeded revised estimates by $77.1 million, adding to a state general fund cushion for the fiscal year that ends July 1. Numbers provided by the Kansas Department of Revenue show individual income tax collections were $278 million in May, about $68 million above estimates and nearly $7 million more than the same month last year. Retail sales and use taxes added to the surplus. However, corporate income tax collections dropped to $11 million, about $9 million below a forecast that mirrored last year’s collections. (Read more: News - Kiowa County Signal - Kiowa County, KS)

Governments Rethink Their ‘Moral Obligation’ to Municipal Bondholders

info2019-06-05T07:47:03-05:00June 4th, 2019|

When a government defaults on debt, it’s usually because it can’t afford the payment -- not because it doesn’t want to make the payment. But that’s changing. In Missouri, a judge ruled last week that Platte County, home to Kansas City, was completely within its rights when it opted six months ago to not pay a $765,000 bond payment due for a long-struggling shopping development. In his decision, Circuit Court Judge James Van Amburg noted there was “no promise or requirement” for the county to pay the debt on the Zona Rosa retail center, even if the county auditor’s proposed budget [...]

Wichita City Council to discuss electric scooter rules

info2019-06-04T11:06:44-05:00June 4th, 2019|

The Wichita City Council plans to discuss proposed rules and regulations surrounding electric scooters coming to the city. Wichitans could be zooming around Wichita as soon as August, but there are a few more steps before they roll out. This includes changes in the ordinance, since electric scooters do not fall within the definition of a vehicle, motor vehicle or bicycle under current city law. In June 2018, elected officials were contacted by electric scooter companies interested in bringing scooters to town. Read more: KAKE.

Lawrence City Commission to consider homeless shelter’s request for additional $252,000

info2019-06-04T11:02:11-05:00June 4th, 2019|

City leaders will soon consider whether to provide the local homeless shelter an additional $252,000 to help the shelter meet shortfalls in its budget. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider the Lawrence Community Shelter’s additional funding request and receive an outside review of the shelter’s financial situation. The shelter is requesting an additional $252,000 from the city and $148,000 from Douglas County for 2019, which if approved would bring the city and county funding for the shelter to $715,000 for the year, according to a city staff memo to the commission. Read more: LJWorld.com.

Bike-share company makes request to bring electric scooters to Lawrence, relax parking requirements

info2019-06-04T11:01:30-05:00June 4th, 2019|

The bike-share company currently operating in Lawrence is requesting the city’s permission to add electric scooters to its fleet of rentable vehicles and to lift parking restrictions. More specifically, VeoRide Inc. is requesting that the city allow it to rent out 150 electric scooters and permit its customers to park bikes and scooters outside currently designated bike racks, according to VeoRide’s request. In addition, the company is asking the city to accept VeoRide as the “exclusive vendor” in Lawrence. The Lawrence City Commission is scheduled to receive the request as part of its meeting Tuesday. Read more: LJWorld.com.

33 Kansas counties now eligible for federal disaster relief

info2019-06-04T10:55:40-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Fifteen more Kansas counties have been added to the list of counties eligible for emergency disaster assistance. Gov. Laura Kelly announced Saturday that 33 of the state’s 105 counties are covered by the federal declaration in response to damage from recent tornadoes. The designation makes the counties eligible for federal support and resources in addition to state and local help to rebuild from the storm damage. Counties added to federal list include Allen, Doniphan, Dickinson, Douglas, Geary, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marshall, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Salina and Wabaunsee. The 18 counties included in the original federal declaration were Anderson, Butler, Chautauqua, [...]

Tornado damage exceeds $26 million

info2019-06-04T10:12:29-05:00June 4th, 2019|

A tornado that ripped through southern Leavenworth County damaged more homes than initially reported. And preliminary figures for property damage exceed $26 million, according to an emergency management official. The tornado, which first touched down in neighboring Douglas County, entered southwestern Leavenworth County on Tuesday evening. The tornado then traveled northeast across southern Leavenworth County. Only minor injuries were reported in Leavenworth County. Representatives of the Leavenworth County Appraiser’s Office had completed damage assessments by Friday. It is now believed that 129 homes were impacted by the tornado in Leavenworth County. Forty-five of those homes were completely destroyed. Forty-six residences had [...]

Watershed holds back floodwaters

info2019-06-04T10:06:23-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Residents of Newton and Sedgwick have the Sand Creek Watershed to thank for keeping water out of their homes as parts of Harvey County has received as much as 15 inches of rain in the past month. The Sand Creek Watershed is made up of 10 dam sites built between 1976 and 2000. “There are nine north of town and one between Newton and Sedgwick,” explained SCWD Board President Tom Cowan. The Sand Creek Watershed drains 64,134 acres — nearly 55,000 acres in Harvey County and the rest within the borders of Marion County. “They’re pretty impressive structures,” said SCWD Board [...]

Solid waste group pushes for lower rates at transfer station

info2019-06-04T10:04:15-05:00June 4th, 2019|

The Labette County Solid Waste Management Committee on Thursday night voted on a number of points its members want to see in a contract for operating a trash transfer station south of Parsons. The 15-year contract with Waste Corporation of Kansas was signed in January 2005 and expires in January 2020. The tipping fee for cities that bring trash to the station is $44.37 a ton. Trash is collected at the station, pushed into trailers and trucked to WCK’s Oak Grove Landfill at Arcadia, about 60 miles away. Committee members discussed the dump fee, the length of the contract, hours of [...]

Upcoming school finance decision will likely not change 2019-2020 school year, says KASB advocate

info2019-06-04T10:01:45-05:00June 4th, 2019|

No matter what the Kansas Supreme Court ultimately decides about whether or not the inflation adjustment to the school finance formula is enough, the budget for the upcoming fall is pretty much a done deal, according to an advocate with the Kansas Association of School Boards. “Even the plaintiffs, who are still saying that the Legislature didn’t get where they needed to be, are really satisfied with funding for next year,” said Mark Tallman with KASB. “I think there’s a pretty widespread belief that districts can be pretty confident of what they have next year. The issue is whether [...]

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