News – Page 893 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Financial data bill heads to Biden

info2022-12-20T17:26:55-06:00December 20th, 2022|

Cities, towns, counties and states will be required to standardize their financial information in machine-readable format by 2027 under a provision included in the defense authorization bill that President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law. The Senate Thursday overwhelmingly approved the $848 billion National Defense Authorization Act of 2023, which includes the Financial Data Transparency Act. The House passed the NDAA last week. Biden is expected to sign it into law as soon as next week. Municipal market issuers like the Government Finance Officers Association, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors lobbied unsuccessfully to [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for December 19, 2022

Henry Schmidt2022-12-20T10:06:34-06:00December 20th, 2022|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.

Commerce Announces SEED Grant Recipients Supporting Economic Development

info2022-12-19T22:48:12-06:00December 19th, 2022|

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the award recipients for the new Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program. In total, 61 recipients will receive nearly $2.7 million to invest in small communities across the state. “SEED grants provide funding for quality-of-life enhancements in some of our state’s smallest communities,” said Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. “These investments will set the stage for future economic development success and prosperity across the state.” Awardees are located in communities with a population of 5,000 or less, as required by (KS Stat 9-2324 [2021]). They are [...]

Pittsburg Arts District is a win-win

info2022-12-21T07:42:57-06:00December 19th, 2022|

This fall, Pittsburg officially established an arts district. Some residents have probably not heard about this. One reason for that may be that people often pay more attention to bad news than good news, and there is no downside to speak of in designating such a district. As Deputy City Manager Jay Byers pointed out shortly before the city commission approved creating the Pittsburg Arts District in late October, establishing the district cost local taxpayers nothing, and didn’t commit the city to any specific future obligations. “There’s no legal action here, you’re just declaring a particular geographic area an arts district,” [...]

Wichita to pay landlords who accept housing vouchers

info2022-12-21T07:43:22-06:00December 19th, 2022|

Wichita, Kansas, is launching a new program to create incentives for landlords to lease apartments to people who receive federal rental assistance. Starting Jan. 1, the Wichita Housing Authority's Landlord Assistance Program will provide landlords who accept tenants receiving assistance with a host of incentives, including up to $1,000 in payments, up to $3,500 to cover the cost of damages to a unit, and two months of rent after a tenant is evicted. “The landlord incentive program helps reduce the likelihood of economically disadvantaged individuals or families becoming homeless due to not being able to find rentals that accept housing vouchers [...]

Kansas Water Authority votes to save what’s left of the Ogallala

info2022-12-21T07:44:07-06:00December 19th, 2022|

The board that advises the Kansas governor and Legislature on water policy now says the state needs to dramatically cut farming irrigation to stop draining the Ogallala aquifer. The vote by the Kansas Water Authority on Wednesday signals a call for a major shift in state policy. For the first time, a state entity has stated that Kansas should move away from gradually depleting the aquifer and act to halt the decline of the vital underground reservoir. Kansas Water Office director Connie Owen called the vote a historic step in changing how the state manages the aquifer, which has lost more [...]

State’s Rural Broadband Expansion Project Continues with Additional Funds

info2022-12-19T22:39:04-06:00December 19th, 2022|

Rural broadband expansion continues in Kansas. Gov. Kelly’s office announced this week that an additional $23.1 million will be provided to six service providers that will bring high-speed broadband service to nearly 4,200 homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and other institutions in unserved and rural areas of the state. This is the second of three rounds of awards from the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Grant Program. The program is the result of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan. Source: 101.3 KFDI

Nat’l Park Service Names Wichita American WWII Heritage City

info2022-12-19T22:35:57-06:00December 19th, 2022|

The City of Wichita has been designated an American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service. The American World War II Heritage Cities Program (AWWIIHC) honors the contributions of towns, cities and counties and commemorates the stories of the men, women and children whose bravery and sacrifices shaped the U.S. home front during World War II, and still impact our country today. As the Air Capitol of the World, Wichita gained great attention and accomplishment during World War II for the development and production of military aircraft. Nearly 26,000 plans of various types were produced, and more than [...]

Shake-up at Unified Government limits power of KCK mayor to set agenda

info2022-12-19T22:34:01-06:00December 19th, 2022|

A surprise vote at Thursday night's meeting has led to a major shake-up in how the Unified Government of Wyandotte County conducts meetings. Mayor Tyrone Garner had already moved to adjourn the meeting and wished the crowd a Merry Christmas when a motion was made to suspend the adjournment and add an item to the agenda and a letter began circulating from Commissioner Angela Markley. After several minutes of quiet huddling and a 10 minute recess, Markley announced a proposal to change the way the body conducts meetings, allowing commissioners to add items to agendas and decide what items go to [...]

USDA Grants will help rehab rural Kansas communities

info2022-12-19T22:31:14-06:00December 19th, 2022|

The USDA has approved grants that will help rehabilitate housing and community centers in rural Kansas communities. The Rural Development grants total $255,662 and are part of a nationwide program to help rural communities in 47 states and American Samoa. In Kansas, the grants will be distributed in 5 counties: A $59,200 grant will help rehabilitate the exterior of the Independence Historical Museum. Located in the historic post office building, the museum celebrates the community’s culture through history, arts, and activities. Source: KSN-TV