Members of a House committee on Monday scrutinized a Senate plan to expand the use of STAR bonds to redevelop struggling malls. The proposal is part of Senate Bill 197, which would extend the state’s STAR bonds program through 2028 with revisions that include the elimination of eminent domain authority and new requirements for recording visitor data. The Senate passed the bill 32-8 on Feb. 19, with eight Republicans opposed. Sen. Jeff Klemp, R-Lansing, testified before members of the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, where he revealed that he was responsible for adding the mall development provision to the bill. [...]

Property tax relief is something people are pushing for across the state. The legislature is considering putting new caps on property tax increases. How much you pay in property taxes depends on how much money your local taxing entities need for their budget. Sedgwick County, the City of Wichita, and Wichita Public Schools are all examples of tax entities. The state is considering reform that would limit how much those property taxes can go up year over year. There are two bills to highlight here. Both roughly cap property tax at the previous year's levels plus inflation. Source: KSN-TV

Cowley College and the City of Arkansas City are teaming up for a Community Cleanup Day on April 5 from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers from across the community will join forces to beautify Arkansas City by removing debris, bundling branches, and assisting residents in need. Community members, student organizations, and Cowley College employees are encouraged to participate and join us in making a difference. Volunteers will gather at Wilson Park at 7:30 AM for assignments and return at noon to wrap up the event. Participants are asked to bring their own rakes and garden gloves to assist with cleanup efforts. [...]

A pair of electric-powered school buses, acquired by USD 257 through a $690,000 EPA grant, have been online since January. “Is it running?” USD 257 Transportation Director Aaron Cole says this is a frequent question when people first see the district’s new electric buses in action. “They are very quiet,” he said, compared to the traditional diesel models. Thanks to a $690,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USD 257 has adopted clean energy for its school transportation. The district used the funding to purchase two electric buses, along with a dual charging station. The grant was made possible by [...]

The Lawrence school district will make up snow days this year by tacking minutes onto the end of school days and adding a day and a half day to the end of the year. So far during the 2024-25 school year, the district has canceled nine full school days for inclement weather, and an additional day for Deerfield Elementary School last week because of a power outage. The Kansas State Department of Education forgives local districts the same number of inclement weather hours or days they build into their calendars and use. Source: The Lawrence Times

Lawrence school board members on Monday approved a contract with Jeanice Swift to serve as the permanent superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools. Swift was named the district’s 10th superintendent last month, pending a formal contract. The negotiated contract, which runs from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2028, includes an annual salary of $235,000, with 2% raises each year “unless there are major (exceeding 0.5% projected annual revenue) reductions in local, state or federal revenues or an unforeseen financial crisis which adversely affects the funding of schools.” Source: The Lawrence Times

Freeman Health System plans to have a new hospital finished in about 24 months as officials break ground Friday morning. Hospital officials had renderings on hand as they put shovels to dirt. There will be thee phases to the project, starting with utilities and internal roads. Then crews will start construction on an ambulatory surgery center with a medical office building on the second floor. Phase three will be the hospital building itself. The Freeman hospital will be near the intersection of East 600th Avenue and North U.S. 69, north of Frontenac. Source: www.koamnewsnow.com - RSS Results in news/local-news of type [...]

The City of Topeka is reviewing how it does homeless camp abatements after a man was injured with machinery during one of the city’s cleanups. City of Topeka staff are reviewing policies and procedures following the incident. Now, the Behavioral Health Unit and the Property Maintenance Unit will mark all cleared tents with an ‘X’ to let machine operators know they have been checked. Source: KSNT 27 News

The Kansas House on Friday passed with bipartisan support a bill giving taxpayers a new weapon to fight city and county spending while offering local governments a financial incentive not to raise property taxes. The House voted 115-6 to pass a bill that would essentially recreate a fund that once was intended to help local governments hold down property taxes but empowers taxpayers to fight excessive spending. The bill now goes to the Senate. Source: Sunflower State Journal

Riley County officials unanimously approved a written testimony in support of the Home Rule Amendment to the Kansas Constitution at Thursday’s meeting. Constitutional home rule has been a legislative priority for Riley County, but it has stalled in the past because of a misunderstanding of what home rule is. County home rule is when a county can govern itself without direct oversight from the state. It means more local control over local issues. This letter addresses misconceptions about what county home rule is. Source: themercury.com - RSS Results in news of type article