Municipal News & Jobs

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.

Why did it take five years for officials to discover two Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers had allegedly, and illegally, pocketed almost $1 million in public funds? Well, a federal indictment against defendants Julia Roberts of Kansas City, Kansas, and Vicki Robinson of Bonner Springs said they made concerted efforts to cover their tracks. The federal government has accused the two former government employees of conducting a criminal, widely profitable wire fraud scheme and committing identity theft by allegedly writing and depositing forged checks into the Bank of Labor, a Kansas City-area bank with ties to labor unions that was founded by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.
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At least one Johnson County city is supporting a push to make Spanish language voting materials more readily available, with more discussions in other cities underway. “We believe that democracy is strongest and most effective when more people can participate,” said Micah Kubic, the executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. “When we get rid of barriers to participation by any group we believe that democracy is at its strongest, and that your ability to participate should not be based on your ability to surmount those barriers on your own.”
Read more: Homepage

Eisenhower High School entered a brief lockout period Friday morning after a student received a tip that a gun had been brought to school. The tip was later found to be unsubstantiated. At 12:30 p.m. Friday, USD 265 Police Chief Joe Camp notified staff and families that an Eisenhower student had received a message from an individual outside the school, who authorities also believed to be a student at Eisenhower. The message suggested that a student had taken a gun to school. In a statement, Camp said the student who received the message reported it to a teacher and then left the classroom. The school then entered a lockout period.
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The Maize school district plans to discuss additional security measures after a gun was found in a backpack at Maize High School on Thursday. It also plans to add more police officers during Maize High’s homecoming activities this weekend, Superintendent Raquel Greer said in a statement Friday. “Yesterday was an example that our school district is not immune to the reality and importance of school safety, and I know many in our community are feeling that today,” Greer said in the statement. “ School security is ongoing work, and we remain fully committed to these daily efforts. We are already working on what the next level of security looks like in Maize USD 266.”
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A new art piece, titled “Greetings from Winfield,” has been installed at 820 Main St., adding a vibrant and welcoming touch to the downtown area. The project was commissioned by Frontier Investment Group to cover a vacant display window and contribute to its ongoing efforts to make downtown Winfield more dynamic and engaging. The artwork was designed by area artist Lindsay Kernodle, who has a strong connection to the Winfield art scene. Kernodle is known for her detailed projects for clients ranging from the Sedgwick County Zoo to National Geographic. She has previously created three murals in Winfield at 1105 Main, 210 E. Ninth and 523 Main.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The city of Riley is considering merging its fire department with Riley County Fire District No. 1 as the city struggles to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. Discussions between the city and county began in August after council members were approached by residents citing concerns about a lack of volunteers. The Riley city council on Tuesday reached consensus to move forward on an official agreement with the county to merge operations. Riley is the only city in the county outside of Manhattan that has its own city-run fire department, which has been in place since 1922.
Read more: themercury.com

The future of Marmaton Market is uncertain as mounting debt and weak sales threaten to shutter Moran’s only grocery store. At a public meeting Wednesday evening, board members and residents gathered to weigh options for keeping the store open, acknowledging its financial challenges. “Basically, we’re here to see if we can save the store, and if not, what can we do next,” said board chairman Ken McWhirter as the meeting opened.
Read more: The Iola Register

LaHarpe voters will decide in November whether to approve a 1.5% sales tax for street repairs and other capital projects. City Council members approved a resolution Wednesday, putting the question on the ballot. The city’s 1% sales tax expired in April after voters rejected an extension last November that would have bumped the local rate to 1.5%. Council members noted there may have been confusion in the 2024 question, that led some voters to believe the 1.5% would have been tacked on to the 1%, and not a replacement.
Read more: The Iola Register

The Girard City Council is soon expected to make a decision on which burning ordinance to move forward with. The council mulled over three ordinances during Monday’s regular meeting. City administrator Johanna O’Brien presented three ordinances. Two were very similar while the third differed. O’Brien noted that the Girard Fire Chief Jeff Turner expressed his support for the third ordinance, which included a permit for open burning.
Read more: – Latest Stories

Brent Clark, City Administrator for the City of Valley Center, has announced his resignation effective October 24th, 2025. Clark has accepted a position with SEH, Inc. to serve as the Civil Client Service Manager. Clark has served as City Administrator since July 2019, leading Valley Center through a period of significant growth and progress.
Source: City of Valley Center

Today, in remembrance of Charlie Kirk, Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and all victims and survivors of political violence, Governor Laura Kelly, in accordance with Executive Order #20-30, directed flags throughout the State of Kansas to be lowered to half-staff effective immediately Friday, September 12, 2025 until sundown on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
Read more: Kansas Governor

This panel is unanimous in our opinion of potholes: they are abysmal. But, in Kansas, making a successful claim against a city for damages resulting from a driver hitting a pothole is a different subject that requires compliance with the law. When we apply two legal principles to this case—the public duty doctrine and discretionary function immunity—it means any recovery is barred by law on this claim.
Source: Court of Appeals: Martin vs. City of Topeka

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.

The Wichita City Council has added five municipal crimes that city prosecutors can use to ban what police call “problem people” from the Old Town Entertainment District. The city can now ban from Old Town anyone caught in public — specifically, in Old Town — urinating, defecating, being nude, having sex or engaging in other sex acts, or exposing themselves without consent. The change imposes a $500 mandatory minimum fine for any of those crimes, if committed in Old Town. In addition, anyone caught in Old Town after being banned “shall be punished” by a maximum fine of $1,000 or by imprisonment up to one year, or both, according to the ordinance approved by the council Tuesday.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

The Halstead school Board approved spending about $30,000 for the installation and implementation of the school safety alert system known as Centegix. With the continued concern for incidents like school shootings, school districts are starting to look for solutions that can help keep them safer. Superintendent Ron Barry said that after the board asked him to look into an alert system for the district, he considered several options before deciding on Centegix as his recommendation.
Read more: Harvey County Now

On the edge of town next to the railroad tracks, the sound of pads crunch and whistles echo. A train chugs by toward the grain elevator that backdrops the football field that features only a handful of players. But it’s getting harder to field a football team year after year. More towns across western Kansas are adopting six-man football, a version of football with smaller teams to help keep the sport alive.
Read more: Hays Daily News

In addition to helping private landowners conserve and protect natural havens for the public’s benefit, a Douglas County program could potentially branch into protecting some urban agricultural land in perpetuity. The pilot Douglas County Land Protection Program is the result of a partnership between the county and nonprofit organization Kansas Land Trust aimed at protecting biodiversity, supporting local farming and more.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Lawrence city commissioners directed the police chief Tuesday to work with community members to implement safeguards with the use of advanced surveillance camera integration and technology.  Commissioners heard from 42 people about the Axon Fusus program Tuesday evening, and 38 of them directly asked the commission to pause further integration of cameras around the city with police technology. The discussion lasted more than four hours. Dozens of residents have spoken out during public comment and in writing to the commission asking that the rollout of the program be paused so the public can discuss concerns.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The city of Wichita has launched a survey to get feedback from residents on priorities for the next city manager. It’s the first opportunity residents have to engage in the search process after the current manager, Robert Layton, announced his retirement earlier this year. “The survey will provide another qualitative snapshot into what residents’ priorities are for the next City Manager,” a release by the city said.
Read more: Wichita Eagle