Municipal News & Jobs

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the Kansas Office of Broadband Development’s (KOBD) $166.6 million final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The approval represents a significant milestone toward delivering high-speed internet access to the 26,673 eligible households and businesses across Kansas.
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

People in one of Kansas’ southernmost counties noticed in 2014 their local hospital was struggling, so they voted to create a sales tax that would direct funds to keep their health care system afloat. In the decade that followed, the Morton County hospital only received about half of the sales tax revenue it was owed, missing out on nearly $2 million. The cities of Morton County received the money instead. The Kansas Department of Revenue, for nine years, sent checks to Elkhart, population 1,726; Rolla, population 356; and Richfield, population 30, and the cities spent that money. David Thompson, the county attorney, told a committee of legislators Tuesday in Topeka the clerical error that led to the misappropriated funds “was just an oversight — an accident.” Rep. Ken Rahjes, a Republican from Agra, called the situation “head-scratching.”
Read more: Garden City Telegram

Learning twice as fast. That is the promise the Newton Board of Education will consider as it decides whether to implement an artificial-intelligence-driven pilot program aimed at improving student learning. The service would be provided by Studient, a company that has rolled out similar pilot programs in public schools in five other states and will soon be present in many more. Newton would be the first school to use the program in Kansas.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Actress Cate Blanchett calls them “everything that is wrong with the human race,” and says they “should be eradicated from the face of the earth.” Comedic actor Ricky Gervais also hates them, per an October story in The Guardian, as do actors Danny DeVito and Hugh Grant. So maybe it’s unsurprising that California, home to the stars, has been at the forefront in regulating leaf blowers. Beverly Hills was reportedly one of the first to ban sales of gas-powered leaf blowers — and that was in 1978. California Gov. Gavin Newsom followed that up with a statewide ban on the sale of new gas-powered blowers in 2021. Hating on leaf blowers has become mainstream in other states as well. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, over 200 laws and programs have been enacted by cities, states and utilities to guide people away from the loud and polluting gas powered blowers. But here in Kansas and Johnson County, the passion doesn’t run quite as high. Spokespersons at the larger cities reported no impetus for leaf blower bans or targeted restrictions like California’s.
Read more: Johnson County Post

On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined fellow Republicans to introduce the Back the Blue Act, led by Senator John Cornyn. The bill is designed to strengthen protections for law enforcement officers and provide them with new tools to stay safe. It creates tougher federal penalties for anyone who kills or tries to kill a law enforcement officer or judge, including life in prison or the death penalty, and imposes stricter punishments for assaults on officers.
Read more: KCLY Radio

The Federal Reserve is poised to deliver its third straight interest rate cut Wednesday, while simultaneously firing a warning shot about what’s ahead. Following a period of remarkable indecision about which way central bank policymakers would lean, markets have settled on a quarter percentage point reduction. If that’s the case, it will take the Fed’s key interest rate down to a range of 3.5%-3.75%. However, there are complications.
Read more: CNBC Bonds

Ron Ballad, who has led the Arkansas City public school district since 2005, announced at the school board meeting Monday that he plans to retire in July next year. Before being hired as superintendent, Ballard was business manager and assistant superintendent at USD 470. He’s been with the district for 27 years.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The City of Emporia has released its 2026 Annual Budget Book, a new resource aiming to help its citizens better understand the annual budget. The 86-page document defines several key terms involved in the budgeting process, explains the calculations used to determine property tax liabilities, details each fund included in the budget, and lists the major changes that contributed to the allocations made. The resource also highlights planned city projects for 2026.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

The Wichita City Council on Tuesday decided to move forward with a possible special election on a 1-cent sales tax. Council members voted 7-0 to pass an ordinance that would put the question on the ballot. But that was just the first reading; the council will need to vote again next week. During the meeting, dozens of residents spoke in favor of and against the sales tax vote.
Read more: KSN-TV

The Kansas Board of Education has a big wish list for the state legislature. However, the board believes one recommendation deserves some extra attention. During the Kansas Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9 board members came up with their annual list of legislative priorities. This is a list of education policies the board would like to see the legislature address during the upcoming session. Lawmakers typically refer to this list while drafting bills related to education. This year, the board has several key recommendations, one of which has to do with bus rider safety.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The Arkansas City Commission has approved changes to zoning regulations that will allow some homeowners to build front-yard carports under specific conditions. The amendments were adopted Dec. 2 and come in response to the severe June hailstorm, which left many residents looking for permitted options to protect their vehicles. Principal Planner Josh White told commissioners that several neighborhoods without rear-alley access had limited options under the previous rules. The new standards create a narrow exception for single-family and two-family homes on those lots.
Read more: Cowley Post

The Kansas man who made national news after being charged with voting illegally, resigned his position as mayor of Coldwater. The Coldwater City Council announced Monday that it had accepted the resignation. “We will continue with the daily work of the city ensuring that all services and operations move forward without interruption,” a city statement said. “Our priority is keeping the community informed and maintaining stability during this transition.”
Read more at: Wichita Eagle

A Shawnee County judge on Tuesday upheld an attorney general’s opinion saying that Johnson County exceeded its authority to ask voters to renew a public safety sales tax to fund mental health and emergency medical services.
Read more: Sunflower State Journal

Boeing completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, marking a significant return to Wichita. Local leaders share their reactions to the deal. Business and government leaders across Kansas are explaining why they believe Boeing’s decision to bring Spirit AeroSystems back under its wing positions Wichita for decades of continued aerospace innovation and growth.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal

Residents in Leawood held a community forum in opposition to the Royals’ potential move. Many feel a stadium going up nearby would completely disrupt the way of life in so many ways: heavy traffic, safety, economic losses for businesses, and hurting access to hospitals nearby.
Read more: KMBC

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 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 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.

Street congestion is not something that is discussed much in Crawford County, but the issue was a topic of conversation at Monday’s Arma City Council meeting. At that meeting, councilmembers shared their concerns about parking on a particular block in the city that is causing potential issues.
Read more: -Morning Sun

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating vandalism to a water tower near Olsburg. Deputies were called out Wednesday morning to the area of Swede Road and Shannon Creek Road where it was discovered a tower serving Rural Water District No. 2 had sustained numerous bullet impacts. Sheriff Doug Adams says it does not appear the damage was recent, but also appears to be intentional. He estimated the damage likely occurred sometime between mid-August and late November.
Read more: News Radio KMAN