info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

House working on new plan to hold down local property taxes

info2025-02-27T13:00:13-06:00February 27th, 2025|

A new plan for encouraging cities and counties to hold down spending is emerging in the House as a potential alternative to plans already on the table for lowering property taxes. Republican state Rep. Adam Smith, chair of the House tax committee, introduced a bill that would essentially recreate a fund that once was intended to help local governments hold down property taxes. The proposal calls for putting $60 million into a new fund called ASTRA, short for Acknowledging Stewardship of Tax Revenue and Appropriations. Source: Sunflower State Journal

OCCK’s 81 Connection bus route to be free for three months

info2025-02-27T07:22:27-06:00February 27th, 2025|

OCCK Transportation's 81 Connection, which runs from Salina to Belleville and back, will become free-fare as part of a pilot program beginning on March 3 until May 30. .... with an aim to increase accessibility to transportation for residents in the region and to improve community health and mobility. Source: Salina Journal

Anyone can be an artist during Chalk the Välk in Lindsborg this April

info2025-02-27T07:21:23-06:00February 27th, 2025|

Little Sweden is letting people make temporary art for all to see during the Chalk the Välk event on April 12. Lindsborg is opening up along four and a half miles of the Välkommen Trail with 10x10 foot squares available for people or groups of all ages to chalk up. Source: Salina Journal

Why Topeka is rebuffing effort to limit regulation of home-based businesses

info2025-02-27T07:14:28-06:00February 27th, 2025|

Topeka City Councilman Spencer Duncan, who is a lobbyist for Kansas League of Municipalities, said the bill has its heart in the right place, but that it could prohibit cities from licensing home-based daycares, require fire codes for automotive repairs or regulate AirBnBs and other short-term residential rentals. Source: CJonline

Topeka eyes more multifamily properties across city

info2025-02-26T16:57:00-06:00February 26th, 2025|

Topeka is asking residents to weigh in on its newest idea to bring in more affordable housing. A survey on whether multifamily dwellings should be building in single-family home zones will remain open until Friday. Source: CJonline

Fed officials are worried about tariffs’ impact on inflation and see rate cuts on hold, minutes show

info2025-02-24T10:24:25-06:00February 24th, 2025|

Federal Reserve officials in January agreed they would need to see inflation come down more before lowering interest rates further, and expressed concern about the impact President Donald Trump’s tariffs would have in making that happen, according to meeting minutes released Wednesday. Policymakers on the Federal Open Market Committee unanimously decided at the meeting to hold their key policy rate steady after three consecutive cuts totaling a full percentage point in 2024. In reaching the decision, members commented on the potential impacts from the new administration, including chatter about the tariffs as well as the impact from reduced regulations and taxes. [...]

El Dorado plans to remove Pit Bull registrant requirements

info2025-02-24T10:23:01-06:00February 24th, 2025|

In a City Commission Work Session on Wednesday, February 12, the City Commission discussed updating the Title 6 of the Municipal Code that spells out animal ordinances, which included abolishing the Pit Bull registrant requirement. The Pit Bull registrant requirements have been a long-time controversary for Butler County and surrounding areas. The City of Augusta passed an ordinance to remove the ban on Pit Bulls in August 2023. The ban of and city registrant requirements of Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Terriers or other similar mix breeds became popular for cities in the 1980’s when information had spread through the media of dangerous [...]

Old coin sparks discussion, reveals local history

info2025-02-24T10:21:49-06:00February 24th, 2025|

Amy Beck frequently stumbles across tidbits of history at estate sales, and one of her recent finds drew quite a bit of attention on social media. She shared pictures of the front and back of an old coin, which displayed the wording “Horse and Buggy Doctor” and “Hertzler Research Foundation.” Comments on her pictures quickly poured in as others began researching the coin. The coin was originally produced as a commemorative piece to honor Dr. Arthur Hertzler on his 100th birthday, July 26, 1970. Hertzler was known as the “Horse and Buggy Doctor” and founder of the Halstead Hospital. Source: Harvey [...]

Halstead Planning Commission nears final draft of BESS regulations

info2025-02-24T10:20:41-06:00February 24th, 2025|

The Halstead Planning Commission worked through the zoning regulation draft for battery energy storage systems (BESS) during its regular meeting Monday evening, just a few days after Concurrent, a Texas-based company leasing land in the city’s industrial park, held a public forum to answer questions regarding their plan to open a BESS facility in town. Planning Commission Chairman Tessa Wending asked if they adequately addressed mitigating the risk from a potential explosion because it’s such a big risk. Source: Harvey County Now

New Assistant County Manager Darron Leiker begins work at Johnson County Government

info2025-02-24T10:19:31-06:00February 24th, 2025|

Today, Darron Leiker joins the Johnson County Government leadership team as a new Assistant County Manager. That role was vacated in December 2024 with the retirement of Joe Connor. Leiker comes to Johnson County from the City of Wichita Falls, Texas, where he served nearly 23 years. He began as Assistant City Manager in 2002 and became City Manager in September 2005, serving for 19 years. In that role he oversaw approximately 15 departments and 1,240 FTEs, prepared an annual budget of more than $233 million (FY 2024) and implemented the policies and goals of a seven-member governing body. Source: Johnson [...]

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