News

Johnson County officials are threatening legal action against a Prairie Village man, saying he reneged on a credit card payment used to secure a hand recount of a much-discussed ballot question to “abandon” city government last November. In a Jan. 8 letter obtained by the Post, Peggy Trent, the county’s chief counsel, told John Cantrell, the Prairie Village resident who requested the recount, that he must repay the county $4,828.46 for the cost of the recount by February 6. If he doesn’t pay by then, Trent warned the county “may pursue any or all legal remedies available.” In the letter, Trent [...]

The Prairiefire project in Overland Park defaulted on bonds meant to be repaid through a CID. Two years ago, it defaulted on a tranche of STAR bonds, too. Read more: Kansas City Business Journals

The City of Hays is in the running for the 2025 Community of the Year Award from Community Playmaker. The city is one of three finalists for the annual award from the publication marketed to city and county governments. The other finalists are Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Monessen, Pennsylvania. In Community Playmaker’s announcement, it cited Hays’ recent investments in a new multimillion-dollar high school, partnerships with Fort Hays State University and local businesses, the Accessible Recreation Complex, the Bob and Pat Schmidt Community Center, along with community events like the Wild West Festival and Oktoberfest as among the reasons the [...]

In an era of ever-increasing cost of living, the Kansas Legislature is focusing on property tax relief in the upcoming session on Monday. One constitutional amendment in particular will be up for discussion. The Cap Assessed Value Protection Amendment Bill affects the assessed value of your home. Assessed value is what property taxes are based on. If the bill passes, that value would not be allowed to increase more than 3% each year. Assessed value is not the same as appraised value. Appraised value is a fair market share set by a county appraiser. Around 11% of that number is assessed [...]

The City of Arkansas City has reorganized its Neighborhood Services Division to form a new Community Development Division, bringing all development-related services under one coordinated team. "This reorganization allows the City to better align planning, development and enforcement functions under one division," said Shana Adkisson, city spokesperson. "By coordinating these services, we can improve efficiency, provide clearer guidance for residents and developers, and better support long-term growth and neighborhood revitalization." The new division aligns planning and zoning, permitting, building inspections and code enforcement, supporting the City's Comprehensive Plan and City Commission goals. Read more: Cowley Post

One of the first things South Hutchinson City Administrator Jeff Schenk pursued when he took the position more than two years ago was rebranding the city’s image. “I want us to be a good neighbor, and it took a while for everyone to get on board with the rebranding,” Schenk said. “But now it’s starting to pay off.” The good neighbor mantra isn’t just new logos on the city’s website and other materials, it’s the overriding philosophy when it comes to not just how the city provides services to its residents but to its relationships with other Reno County governing bodies [...]

A new program aimed at recruiting remote workers to the Manhattan area experienced positive early results, local officials said Thursday. Representatives from the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce and Riley County Planning and Development updated the Riley County commission Thursday on efforts of MakeMyMove, a relocation incentive program that is also part of the state’s Home in the Heartland Initiative. Read more: themercury.com

The Kansas City Chiefs’ plan to build a new domed stadium on the Kansas side, along with a new training facility and headquarters in Olathe, would be supported by a special incentive package for entertainment and tourism draws. Called STAR bonds, for Kansas Sales Tax and Revenue bonds, this type of incentive involves issuing bond debt to cover part of a project’s price tag that is then paid back over a set period of time using sales tax revenues generated by retail and dining sales within a project’s defined boundaries. State and team officials last month unveiled a deal that would [...]

... a county may not implement a tax rebate program unless it is authorized by, and complies with, a state statutory scheme. Harper County instituted the Ad Valorem Rebate Program to offer tax rebates from county ad valorem property taxes to program participants. ... for the Rebate Program to be valid, it must be based on, and comply with, a state statutory tax rebate scheme. Read more: Kansas Attorney General Opinions

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.