Municipal News & Jobs

Governor Laura Kelly is laying out a comprehensive plan to provide immediate and lasting tax relief at the state level, and to begin the conversation about engaging local leaders on enacting property tax reform. 

“Kansans deserve real property tax relief, and they deserve the truth about how such relief can be accomplished,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “To date, the Legislature – led by a Republican supermajority – has provided only lip service on this topic and has failed to deliver on the campaign promises and talking points they have been repeating for two years. Today, I’m laying out a fiscally responsible property tax relief plan that I invite the Legislature to debate and take action on to finally give Kansans some real relief.” 

The truth about property taxes is that the overwhelming majority of property taxes are levied at the local level – by cities, counties, and school districts. The revenues that these taxes generate are designed to contribute to an improved quality of life for its citizens, like paying for police and firefighters, maintaining reliable roads, and providing access to high-quality public schools. However, increased valuations and rising costs have placed an undue burden on property owners across the state.   

Action must be taken to encourage local governments to keep their costs down, while not sacrificing the services that its citizens deserve. But the State is not excused from being a part of the solution and providing relief for the portion of property taxes for which it is responsible. 

To identify a real and lasting solution, Governor Kelly is introducing a multi-pronged approach to drive property tax reform in Kansas. She encourages the Legislature to follow her lead and to debate and vote on this property tax reform package in the closing days of the 2026 legislative session. 

Governor Kelly’s plan is divided into three parts: 1) immediate property tax relief for vehicle owners, 2) incentivizing local governments to permanently bend their cost curves, and 3) requiring the state to have skin in the game for its share of property taxes. 

The first leg of the plan is for the Legislature to adopt Senate Bill 378, which was introduced by Senator Ethan Corson during the 2026 legislative session. This bill would provide for a one-time $250 vehicle tax credit for all vehicle owners in the state when they register their vehicle. The cost to cover this credit would be paid for by using surplus funds sitting in the budget stabilization fund. This policy would give immediate relief to Kansans in Fiscal Year 2027, while the other components of the package take shape. By limiting this to a one-time event, it will not jeopardize the fidelity of the budget stabilization fund. 

The second leg of the plan is to create a fund to be distributed to cities and counties that demonstrate an ability to manage their budgets responsibly. The state would make an annual deposit into this fund, beginning with $60.0 million in the first year, and growing the deposit by 2 percent each year. Cities and counties that keep their annual budget growth at a reasonable level – recommended to be no greater than 3 percent – would be eligible to claim a portion of this fund, to assist them in paying for needed services. The distribution formula would take into account each city/county’s population and total assessed value, ensuring that rural and urban areas have equitable access to these funds.   

The third leg of the plan is for the state to have some skin in the game and to provide tax relief for the 20 mills that are levied to assist the state in paying for its share of public education. Current law exempts the first $75,000 of every home’s appraised value from this 20-mill tax. The Governor’s proposal would increase the exemption level to $150,000. By doubling the current exemption, this would provide meaningful tax relief to over 700,000 Kansas homeowners every year. This proposal would safeguard funding for public education by creating a demand transfer from the State General Fund into the School District Finance Fund to ensure that public schools continue to receive their full constitutional funding. 

The Governor urges the Legislature to give serious consideration to this comprehensive property tax package, while it has time to act. It is time for Kansans to hear the truth from their elected officials, and to have their elected officials deliver realistic results for them. 

Governor Laura Kelly on Wednesday vetoed Senate Substitute for House Bill 2745.

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of Senate Substitute for House Bill 2745:

“Kansans deserve real property tax relief. For several years the Legislature has claimed to make delivering that relief their top priority and yet they have not been successful in delivering on that promise. This session’s attempt, Senate Substitute for House Bill 2745, does nothing to provide that relief. Instead, the truth is that this bill will only restrict the ability of locally elected officials to be nimble enough to adjust to the unique needs of the communities they serve.

“In fact, the passage of Senate Substitute for House Bill 2745 has already caused a great deal of disruption at the local level all across the state. Multiple school districts and local governments have been notified that their bonds that were within days of closing have been terminated by the underwriters, due to the financial uncertainty that this piece of legislation creates. This means that projects which have already been approved at the local level have been stopped dead in their tracks, as their funding source has been removed due to the passage of this bill.

“The harm this bill causes local communities is real. The Legislature would be wise to focus their efforts on partnering with local elected officials to develop real property tax relief for Kansans, as opposed to shutting them out of the process and passing faulty legislation.

“I plan to offer a property tax package for the Legislature’s consideration which will lay the foundation for these conversations, while also providing tax relief for the portion of property taxes that the State is accountable for assessing.

“Therefore, pursuant to Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution of the State of Kansas, I hereby veto Senate Substitute for House Bill 2745.”

The program, established in 2021, was intended to buy and sell properties to encourage affordable housing in the city’s core, but the city was unable to acquire land for the program, mainly through Sedgwick County tax foreclosure sales and donations.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

Wichita’s cost of living saw a slight increase from 2024 to 2025, according to a new report by financial website SmartAsset, while residents of another city in Kansas saw relief. SmartAsset named Wichita the 174th location nationally for increase in cost of living over a one-year period in its March 16 report “Where Cost of Living Increased and Decreased Most – 2026 Study.” The report found Wichita had an increase of 0.78%, although the city still has a cost of living 12.6% below the national average. Hutchinson saw a 2.75% decrease in cost of living, according to the analysis, landing 14.9% below the U.S. average. “The cost of living premium in a specific location reflects the relative cost of housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and other common necessities, compared to the rest of the country,” SmartAsset’s report said.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

Wichita and Sedgwick County are sounding the alarm about a bill passed by the Legislature that would allow voters to halt local government budget increases. The bill, HB 2745, is awaiting Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk signature or veto. The governor has not signaled where she stands on the bill. The legislature approved the bill during the last day of the legislative session last week. If 10% of registered voters, not property owners, in a taxing jurisdiction protested, that would cap the jurisdiction’s spending at the same level as the previous year.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

Pittsburg has been selected to host this year’s annual Mining History Association (MHA) conference between May 28 and May 31. This marks the first time in 36 years the MHA has held its conference between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River, signaling a recognition of the importance the area has played in the nation’s mining history.
Read more: – Morning Sun

City commissioners on Tuesday will decide whether to change their meeting policies concerning public comment. They will vote on a resolution which repeals existing policy and proposes changes to how residents may address the commission. Each speaker would still have three minutes per item, but the mayor or majority could modify the length of time per speaker. Agenda items would have no cap on total duration of public comment, except that open public comment is capped at 30 minutes. The mayor or majority retain the flexibility to cap total duration on any item, or to extend open public comment. Public comment would also be allowed on work session items, changed from the current default that the majority must vote to allow public comment on work session items.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

On March 31, for the third time in the month, government leaders from Sedgwick County and the city of Wichita heard from a crowded room of area residents with a fairly unified message regarding the development of data centers — no thanks. With no zoning regulations in place currently in Wichita or Sedgwick County regarding data centers, and development of such facilities gaining steam across the country, local government leaders started to look at the issue more closely at the start of the year.
Read more: www.derbyinformer.com

On Tuesday, March 31, Dodge City Community College (DC3) hosted area high school students for a Construction Day lunch at the Skinner Student Activity Center, offering a hands-on look at career opportunities in the building trades. The event, held in partnership with the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation, was designed to connect students with real-world experiences in construction. Participants toured local job sites and learned more about DC3’s Building Construction Technology program, led by instructor Pat Shiew.
Read more: Dodge City Daily Globe

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County has approved plans for a new downtown grocery store at the old Merc Co+op location in Kansas City, Kansas. During Thursday’s commissioner’s meeting, WyCo leaders voted to approve the letter of intent from Anthony Estrada, the owner of Santa Fe Grocers, to open a full-service grocery store near North 5th Street and Minnesota Avenue. On Monday, Estrada submitted the letter of intent before the Unified Government’s Economic Development and Finance committee. The proposed store at 5th and Minnesota in KCK would be called United Market, and would include a meat department, bakery, and produce section.
Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

The Fredonia Police Chief addressed community concerns on Friday regarding electric scooters on the road. According to Police Chief Tyler Decker, the department has received multiple complaints about the careless operation of the scooters. As a way to prevent future accidents, Chief Decker is encouraging those who have electric scooters to review city ordinances and have safety conversations with children who operate them.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Cottonwood Falls’ City Council has a special meeting Monday evening. Board members are set to discuss an alignment effort between Cottonwood Falls, Strong City and Chase County related to several pet-related ordinances — specifically dog ordinances in general, as well as animals at large and exotic animals. State laws on pet matters will also be discussed. The meeting is at 5:30 pm at 220 1/2 Broadway in Cottonwood Falls.
Read more: KVOE

The Overland Park City Council is set to vote Monday night on an ordinance connected to a new housing pilot program, which includes changes to zoning and the development approval process. In the staff report found on the agenda for tonight’s meeting, the city summarizes the item by saying “Staff is proposing new Chapter 18.375 in the UDO, to create a pilot program for Portfolio Homes. To accompany the City’s new Portfolio Homes program, the proposed pilot zoning package encourages the development of Portfolio Homes by allowing projects on a limited basis. The pilot zoning package would promote development on infill lots to utilize existing infrastructure, create opportunity for cottage court layouts, streamline the approval process, and provide flexibility from existing development standards to support Portfolio Home development.” The Portfolio Homes program is designed to expand housing options beyond traditional single-family homes and large apartment developments.
Read more: KSHB News

Surplus and underused county property may become the next frontier in the effort to create more affordable housing in Johnson County. County commissioners last week approved a new policy that asks that wherever feasible, housing be included in the mix of possible uses for redevelopment of its underused properties. The policy emphasizes partnerships with other entities, public or private. The new policy, approved 6-1 with Commissioner Michael Ashcraft dissenting, does not commit the county to any projects, nor does it require housing to be prioritized ahead of other uses. Commissioners said the intent was to see if a housing element to development could be a way to expand affordable options and possibly generate revenue.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The Wichita City Council on Tuesday will consider signing off on the purchase of two robotic dogs for the police department The robots were originally approved through the city’s capital improvement plan. The council has the option to get one or both of the dogs. One would got to the SWAT team and the other to the bomb squad. The police chief says if the council only approves one dog, he knows where he wants it to go. Both dogs would cost the city over $630,000.
Read more: KSN-TV

A new Lawrence Affordable Housing Study finds that over half of renters and many homebuyers cannot afford current prices, as housing construction lags well below pre-pandemic levels.
Read more: LJWorld

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.

Becky Willard asked the county commissioners to expand the current moratorium in effect to include three new items: private energy campuses, hyperscale AI data centers, and a solar project near McCune. A private energy campus is a piece of infrastructure designed to support the high-energy usage of data centers. Kansas House Bill HB 2664 would allow tech companies to build such a complex independent of the existing power grid, sometimes combining wind, solar, natural gas and nuclear power. Supporters of the bill argue that by letting tech companies bypass government bureaucracy, Kansas can more easily attract high-tech industry and massive capital investment. The problem is who pays for the existing power grid. Maintaining the grid does not get cheaper if fewer people are on it. If big tech is allowed to build their own grids, the remaining customers have to pick up the slack in lost revenue used to maintain the grid, while at the same time, the private campuses remain hooked into the public grid for emergencies.
Read more: Morning Sun

A $225,000 grant is bringing high-tech tools like laser engravers and 3D printers to libraries across Southeast Kansas. A grant awarded to the Southeast Kansas Library System (SEKLS) is expanding access to advanced technology across the region, including a laser engraving machine currently available at the Iola Public Library. The funding comes through the Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans (DOCK) program, a statewide initiative aimed at improving digital literacy and skills training, particularly in economically distressed areas. The program is funded by nearly $5 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act.
Read more: The Iola Register

Allen County is exploring a Neighborhood Revitalization Program to spur property improvements through tax rebates. Allen County commissioners began shaping the framework of the county’s own potential Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) this week, reviewing draft options and discussing how the program could encourage property improvements across the county. An NRP is a local economic development tool designed to encourage property improvements by offering temporary property tax rebates on the increased value created by those improvements. Under an NRP, property owners who make qualifying upgrades — such as building additions, renovations, or new structures — can receive a partial refund of the additional property taxes they pay as a result of those improvements. The goal is to stimulate investment, improve property conditions, and enhance the overall tax base over time.
Read more: The Iola Register