Ranson Financial, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Committee recommends $82K tax break for Borders building project in Lawrence but votes against $830K tax rebate

A city committee voted Wednesday in favor of one tax break for a project to redevelop the long-vacant Borders bookstore in downtown Lawrence, but against a much larger tax incentive that First Management Inc. had requested. First Management plans to remodel the building at 700 New Hampshire St. into corporate headquarters. The company seeks Industrial Revenue Bonds for a 100% sales tax exemption on construction materials for the building, and a 15-year, 90% Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRA) rebate. The Public Incentives Review Committee voted 4-1 Wednesday to recommend approval of the IRB. According to agenda materials, that amounts to a value of about $82,000. Committee members, who voted on the IRB and the Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRA) rebate separately, voted against recommending the NRA rebate on a 3-2 vote. That was valued at about $830,000, according to reports in the meeting agenda.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2023-06-15T08:40:07-05:00June 15, 2023|News|

City of Holton sales tax renewed

Holton voters approved a 10-year extension on the city’s half-cent sales tax for infrastructure improvements by a margin of nearly six to one, despite a low voter turnout, it has been reported. Holton Interim City Clerk Teresa Riley thanked the city’s voters for showing support for extending the sales tax, which will now be extended through Dec. 31, 2033.
“The city is grateful and thankful to the citizens of Holton for continuing to support the improvement of our city through the sales tax,” Riley said. “Work will continue on our aging sewer system, maintenance of our electrical generation plant and other infrastructure improvements needed.”
Source: Holton Recorder

Ranson Financial2023-06-15T08:34:33-05:00June 15, 2023|News|

FOMC likely to skip June but hike interest rates in July analysts say

The Federal Open Market Committee is expected this week to hold interest rates at a range of 5% to 5.25%, but the revised Summary of Economic Projections will likely signal at least one more rate hike this year. “We expect the Fed to leave the federal funds rate unchanged although both the post-meeting statement and the dot plot will likely emphasize that inaction this week should be considered ‘skipping a rate hike’ rather than putting an end to monetary tightening,” said David Kelly, chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. “Indeed, Fed communications could explicitly warn of a possible further rate hike in July.” Although Kelly believes cooling data through the July meeting should suggest “no further tightening is warranted.” Others disagreed about the future. “The Fed will need to remain committed to curbing inflation and be ready to raise the rates again and keep them elevated if necessary,” said Emin Hajiyev, senior economist at Insight Investment. Inflation, he said, will dictate policy, calling it “the overriding concern.”
Source: The Bond Buyer

Ranson Financial2023-06-14T09:33:16-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

Hope, hurdles remain for long-discussed west Wichita highway project

Since around the turn of the century, many have agreed that a northwest bypass would be a boon for west Wichita economic development and the region overall. Advocates point to what the early 1990s expansion of K-96 did for east Wichita, with growth showing no signs of slowing in areas just off the highway on Greenwich Road, among other intersections. Yet, the proposed highway project — which would extend K-254 from around 45th Street North and Maize Road to Kellogg, just east of Goddard — first studied in the late 1990s appears not much closer to coming to fruition than it did years ago. “At one time, there seemed to be strong momentum, and then it just fizzled,” said Dan Unruh, founding partner at InSite Real Estate Group. Despite the Kansas Department of Transportation beginning to purchase land for the project in 2006, only one-third of the right-of-way has been bought so far. That’s about where progress stood two years ago.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Ranson Financial2023-06-13T19:11:05-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

Dodge City’s “Paving the future, property tax relief and street sales tax”

The 2023 Street Reconstruction Projects utilizing the new “Paving the Future, Property Tax Relief and Street Sales Tax funds” will begin soon. The Dodge City Commission recently approved a street project at Village Square Mall to mill and inlay Central Avenue from the northern drive to end of concrete pavement up to and including the US 50 and Central Avenue intersection. Another mill and inlay/overlay project will address much needed repairs tpi on Underpass Road from Trail Street. to Wyatt Earp Boulevard.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe

Ranson Financial2023-06-13T19:09:49-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

Faces of Emporia mural comes to life downtown

Downtown Emporia is full of smiling faces today, as work continues on the Faces of Emporia Mural at 907 Commercial St. Pasted and sealed with wallpaper glue on the south side of the Nick Jacobs American Family Insurance building, 188 photos of smiling Emporians will make up the latest in a series of five new murals as part of the Visit Emporia Community Arts Alliance. The Faces of Emporia mural follows the Hispanic Heritage Mural on El Marmol restaurant, funded and talent scouted by local volunteer organization Emporia Celebrates the Flint Hills, with help from the Emporia Community Foundation, Kathryn L. & Elvin D. Perkins Fund, Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow and Visit Emporia.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Ranson Financial2023-06-13T19:08:43-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

Water consumption trending upward within Garden City

Fred Jones, Garden City Water Resource Manager, gave a mid-year update on water consumption withing the city at the Garden City Commission’s regular meeting Tuesday. Generally, water consumption within the city has increased significantly this past year, Jones said. About 6.5% more water was used in 2022 than the city’s five-year average. “Water consumption continues to trend upwards; we’re averaging about 1% per year, and the range consumption totals differs by approximately 89 million gallons over the past six years,” he said. “It’s going up, but it’s not dramatic.” Jones said irrigation tends to get the brunt of the abuse for that increase, but there are other uses of water that do increase in the summertime that the city is probably getting to a point, in terms of the industrial capacity in Garden City, that they need to look at, which is water required for cooling. This year they are going to do some analysis of that, to see if they can get a better picture of what the cooling footprint is in Garden City, which can include any large businesses, the hospital and Garden City Community College. “We may be looking for some ways we can work with some of those entities just to provide them some more information education to help them conserve some water and hopefully save their businesses some money as well,” he said.
Source: Garden City Telegram

Ranson Financial2023-06-13T11:40:32-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

Sedgwick’s council wants to continue the city sales tax

A 10-year, one-half-cent sales tax. That’s what the Sedgwick City Council hopes to convince residents to vote on in November. The council approved a resolution on Wednesday to give voters the opportunity to extend the current half-cent tax for an additional 10 years, tripling its original length. In November 2019, voters passed a five-year city sales tax that took effect in 2020 and will sunset on Dec. 31, 2024, unless it is extended by a successful vote in five months. City Administrator Kyle Nordick told the council that the special sales tax approved in 2019 has generated $509,507 in revenue so far. He estimated that the one-half of one percent (0.5%) retailers’ sales tax would generate approximately $195,000 annually. “It’s going right out the door for street repairs,” Nordick said. “That would be part of the marketing.”
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2023-06-13T19:05:28-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

Citizens gather at El Dorado’s Graham Park to remember lives lost in 1958 tornado

Saturday morning, the sounds of kids playing in El Dorado’s Graham Park could be heard throughout the neighborhood, but on June 10, 1958 a different sound is what long-time El Dorado resident Betty Henderson recalls. Henderson had only been married to her husband Pete for two weeks when the tornado struck. “God, listen to that train,” Henderson said to him. Pete told her, ‘that isn’t a train’ and that they ‘better head to the basement.’ According to the City of El Dorado, 13 people died that day. Saturday evening a memorial was held in the park to remember the lives lost in the tornado. The siren rang at 5:45 pm and there were a couple of survivors there reliving the moment all over again. Fast forward to today and things are different. The neighborhood where the disaster happened is filled with people who weren’t even born 65 years ago or some were too young to remember. Graham Park will always keep the memory of those gone alive through their memorial.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2023-06-13T19:05:34-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

WAMPO begins planning process to improve Wichita transportation

The Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) began its planning process in hopes of improving transportation throughout the Wichita region. WAMPO provides federal funding on transportation systems and improvements. The goal is to find solutions for safety, ease of travel times and improving connectivity for all modes of travel. According to WAMPO Executive Director Chad Parasa, every five years there is an update to the transportation plan. Parasa said several things are factored into these updates such as population and new business. Some of the current projects WAMPO funded include the Zoo Boulevard Bridge, 37th Street, Hydraulic and Hillside, Maize Road to 119th Street, and Meridian Avenue. Both Zoo Boulevard and Hydraulic and Hillside will begin construction soon. WAMPO is also focusing efforts on bicycling, public transit, walking and running.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2023-06-13T11:32:45-05:00June 13, 2023|News|

About Ranson Financial

Committee recommends $82K tax break for Borders building project in Lawrence but votes against $830K tax rebate

City of Holton sales tax renewed

FOMC likely to skip June but hike interest rates in July analysts say

Hope, hurdles remain for long-discussed west Wichita highway project

Dodge City’s “Paving the future, property tax relief and street sales tax”

Faces of Emporia mural comes to life downtown

Water consumption trending upward within Garden City

Sedgwick’s council wants to continue the city sales tax

Citizens gather at El Dorado’s Graham Park to remember lives lost in 1958 tornado

WAMPO begins planning process to improve Wichita transportation

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