News – Page 757 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Cline resigns as USD 430 superintendent

info2023-04-26T07:13:33-05:00April 25th, 2023|

At Wednesday's meeting of the USD 430 Board of Education, the board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Jason Cline, a little less than a week after it was announced that Cline had accepted the same position at Columbus, Nebraska's Lakeview Community Schools. Cline's resignation is effective at the end of the school year, when the Atchison High School graduate will begin his new position on July 1st. He has served as the USD 430 superintendent for 6 years. Later in the meeting, the board voted to hire KASB Superintendent Search Service for $3,500 plus fees to assist in filling the newly-vacant [...]

How Local Governments Can Rise to the Infrastructure Complexity Challenge

info2023-04-26T07:13:11-05:00April 25th, 2023|

The federal government is investing nearly $2 trillion in American infrastructure and competitiveness through three historic efforts: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Taken together, these laws represent a uniquely difficult execution challenge, not only for the federal government, but for local governments across the country. Source: Route Fifty - All Content

The ‘Dark Store’ Threat to Property Tax Revenues

info2023-04-26T07:12:06-05:00April 25th, 2023|

Some big-name chain-store operators, including Walmart, Lowe's, Target and the Midwest’s Meijer, have been suing their local governments for lower property taxes on the premise of a controversial legal argument called the “dark store” theory. Localities are fighting back, but there's a need for stronger legislation to protect tax revenues. Here’s the background: It’s no secret that retail shopping centers and some superstores have been struggling for years as consumer tastes shifted and online sales cut retail traffic. Then the pandemic made matters worse. Source: Governing

New Federal Program to Help Cities Plan ‘Thriving Neighborhoods’

info2023-04-25T10:15:08-05:00April 25th, 2023|

In Brief: The Thriving Communities Program provides technical assistance to urban, rural and tribal communities for transportation and land-use planning. The Department of Transportation announced 64 communities will receive support in the first year. $21 million will be distributed to four teams of “capacity builder” organizations, including planning consultants, transportation experts and environmental nonprofits. Economic development authorities spend lots of time trying to get businesses to put down roots in their cities and to keep homegrown industries in place: assembling land, navigating tax incentives, and helping out with licensing and permitting and zoning regulations. Source: Governing: State and local government news [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for April 24, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-04-25T07:14:09-05:00April 25th, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.

Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $10 Million to Expand Housing for Elderly and Disabled Kansans

info2023-04-24T10:39:31-05:00April 24th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that nearly $10 million has been awarded to nine recipients for the construction or renovation of housing for persons with disabilities and the elderly. Funding was made available through the ARPA Building Opportunities for the Disabled and Elderly (ABODE) program launched by Commerce earlier this year. “Safe and accessible residential communities for elderly and disabled Kansans are necessary for living independently,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These awards will increase housing options that meet the needs of these communities.” Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Small Towns Chase America’s $3 Trillion Climate Gold Rush

info2023-04-24T14:10:03-05:00April 24th, 2023|

Colleton County in South Carolina is a quiet rural district best known for its hunting, fishing and, recently, a sensational murder trial. Now it is also a player in America’s new gold rush: a scramble for $1 trillion in federal tax incentives and loans for green energy that is fueling a flood of corporate investments and reshaping local economies. The spending is one of the biggest outlays of taxpayer-financed industrial stimulus since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. If successful, it could transform the nation’s economy by creating millions of jobs and driving up to $3 trillion in total clean-energy investments during the next decade. The [...]

Car Dealer Markups Helped Drive Inflation, Study Finds

info2023-04-24T10:32:53-05:00April 24th, 2023|

Markups on new cars were a key force behind the current bout of inflation, according to new research published this month. Those extra dealer profits contributed between 0.3 and 0.7 percentage point of the nearly 16% rise in the consumer-price index between the end of 2019 and the end of 2022, a study published in a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics journal found. Source: WSJ.com: US Business

Americans Escaping Pricey Cities Bring Higher Housing Costs, Inflation With Them

info2023-04-24T10:31:12-05:00April 24th, 2023|

Tampa, Fla., residents face some of the hottest inflation in the country, but when excluding sizzling housing costs, price increases are nearly as cool as in Minneapolis. The disparity shows regional inflation is heavily influenced by home prices and rent costs. The Tampa area has one of the highest inflation rates in the nation, 7.7% in March, according to the Labor Department. But when shelter costs are removed from the index, the Florida metro’s rate was 3.8%—putting it in line with the Minneapolis area, where inflation excluding housing was 3.6%. Source: WSJ.com: US Business

Governor Kelly Signs Bipartisan Bill to Invest Record $35M To Protect Water Resources

info2023-04-24T10:28:09-05:00April 24th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly this week signed a bipartisan bill that increases funding for the State Water Plan, including two funds for grants for water-related infrastructure projects. Kelly fully funded the State Water Plan in 2022 for the first time since 2008. This bill increases funding for water, adding $18 million to the annual $8 million for the State Water Plan and $17 million for the two grant funds. In total, the bill designates an additional $35 million in funding to protect essential water resources. The bill includes that it is legislative intent to continue this funding through 2027. Source: 101.3 KFDI