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Kansas Municipal News

Could a sales tax in Sedgwick County reduce property taxes?

Voters in Sedgwick County could be asked next year to support a new sales tax that would fund arts, culture and recreation programming. … Funding those programs through a sales tax instead would allow the county to lower its property tax levy by between two and a half and three mills, likely starting in 2026 or 2027. Commissioners want to present voters with a ballot question about a sales tax no later than fall 2025.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Wichita police quietly tested gunshot-detection tech for 2 years. Now they’re ready to expand it.

The Wichita Police Department plans to purchase around 144 gunshot sensors it’s tested since February 2022, officials said during a town hall meeting in June. Other than a brief mention of it when police talked about failures of the previous gunshot system in February 2023, which was the first time city and elected officials learned police had been testing the technology for more than a year, it was the first time the department spoke publicly about testing the controversial technology. The gunshot technology being implemented in Wichita has been controversial in other cities, including lawsuits, concerns about police bias and voice detection, and the question of whether or not the system detects gunshots accurately. Chief Joseph Sullivan, who inherited the Flock Safety’s Raven gunshot sensors from his predecessor, blamed the lack of transparency on a “glitch in communication” by the previous administration. He said that the department would be more transparent in the future, including about testing products, adding that when the Raven gunshot sensors go live, there will be a dashboard for people to see alerts and outcomes. “We want you to see and we want to see, is it working, is it not working?” Sullivan said during the June 8 meeting.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Could a sales tax in Sedgwick County reduce property taxes?

Voters in Sedgwick County could be asked next year to support a new sales tax that would fund arts, culture and recreation programming. The Sedgwick County Zoo, Exploration Place science museum, the Kansas African American Museum and the county parks department are all set to take cuts in next year’s proposed county budget. Funding those programs through a sales tax instead would allow the county to lower its property tax levy by between two and a half and three mills, likely starting in 2026 or 2027. Commissioners want to present voters with a ballot question about a sales tax no later than fall 2025. Establishing an eighth of a cent sales tax for cultural arts and rec funding would generate around $18 million in revenue based on current sales tax data — roughly the same amount the county now spends annually on quality of life programming. “I would like to say we would never fund those things ever again through property taxes,” Commissioner Jim Howell said at a staff meeting earlier this week. “They would be forever funded through sales tax.” The county tax proposal comes as the state is reducing and then eliminating by Jan. 1 its sales tax on food bought at grocery stores. Meanwhile, a major tax cut compromise reached between Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican legislators in June did little to provide property tax relief, but lawmakers have vowed to take the issue up again next year. A county sales tax ballot proposal would likely have an ending date, giving voters an option in five years to renew the funding mechanism or revert back to using property taxes.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Rural Towns Are Aging, Cash-Strapped and in Desperate Need of Workers

The challenge of both finding and affording workers faces small governments scattered around the U.S., and often leaves those still there to pick up the slack. … Rural areas have long struggled to hang onto—or recruit—young residents launching their careers. Small-town officials say they face particular hurdles when it comes to offering competitive salaries to compete for workers.
Source: Wall Street Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for July 26, 2024

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.

Commerce Awards $380,000 for Rural Counties to Market ROZ Program

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced $380,000 has been awarded to 40 Kansas counties in the first round of Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ) Local Marketing Grants. The funds are intended to help counties market the unique ROZ financial incentives available to new residents: Student loan repayment assistance and/or 100% state income tax credit. Counties that have annually contributed and supported the matching requirement of the program will receive between $5,000 and $15,000 to better support and promote their program. Funding will assist the counties and local partner organizations as they develop customized marketing strategies best suited for their community. “There is not a one-size-fits-all solution when effectively marketing what each unique Kansas community has to offer its residents,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The ROZ marketing grant will provide support to showcase each community’s potential to be that perfect place for someone relocating to Kansas.”
Source: Kansas Commerce

‘Them vs. us’: Lawrence community members identify barriers between police and themselves

A diverse group of community members shared their perspectives on Lawrence police Saturday, voicing concerns ranging from how officers could show more compassion and preparedness in crises to making downtown feel safer. Several dozen community members gathered at Lawrence High School for a partnership workshop hosted by the Lawrence Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice. The two-part workshop aims to “improve trust and develop partnerships between police and community members. Participants split into six small groups to identify the positives and negatives of the LPD’s interactions with the community, ultimately narrowing it down to three “barriers.” A second session next weekend will focus on solutions. Facilitators wanted groups to be organized “homogeneously.” One included law enforcement and city employees, and another included members of civil rights advocacy organizations, for instance. Groups identified points ranging from positive and upbeat moments such as citywide celebrations to critical conversations about crisis control. At the end of the workshop, people in attendance voted on the top five most pressing issues by placing dot stickers on pages where each group listed the top barriers they identified. The No. 1 issue, community members voted, was “A sense of them vs. us.”
Source: Lawrence Times

Wichita police officers get new body cameras

The Wichita Police Department has been issuing new body cameras to all commissioned officers, and most officers have now received them. Police Captain Aaron Moses said officers will have a choice between a head-mounted and a body-mounted camera. He said the new cameras have a wider angle and a clearer picture along with better audio. There has been automatic activation of the camera when a taser is deployed, and Moses said the next steps will be to have automatic activation when the light bar is activated on a patrol car or when a firearm is pulled from its holster. Supervisors will be able to livestream video from officers in the field in certain situations. Moses said every commissioned officer will get a body-worn camera. After all field services employees have received cameras, the investigations employees will get cameras and eventually the police chief will get a camera as well.
Source: KFDI

Kansas Supreme Court clarifies land-use permit authority, settles Finney County dispute

The Kansas Supreme Court issued an opinion Friday that determined the Finney County Commission had authority to delegate decisions about land-use permits to a zoning appeals board as long the local actions didn’t conflict with state law. The opinion written by Justice Dan Biles was inspired by a dispute that emerged in 2021 when Huber Sand applied to the Finney County Board of Zoning Appeals for a conditional use permit to operate a sand and gravel quarry under regulations adopted by the county commission. More than 100 people submitted protest petitions in opposition to the development on 177 acres southeast of Pierceville. The zoning board approved on a 2-1 vote the permit for a quarry on land that was zoned agricultural. Finney County landowner Brian Price and American Warrior, a company with an oil and gas lease near the proposed quarry, filed a lawsuit. Finney County District Court sided with Huber Sand and the county commission, but American Warrior appealed to the Kansas Court of Appeals. That appellate court, on a 2-1 vote, reversed the district court. The Supreme Court unanimously decided the majority on the Court of Appeals got it wrong, and affirmed the original action by District Court Judge Wendell Wurst.
Source: KS Reflector

Wyandotte County to offer home repairs, relocation and counseling for gun violence victims

Seven years ago, a drive-by shooting became the first case District Attorney Mark Dupree handled as Wyandotte County’s top prosecutor. Bullets had pierced the front door of a home, busted out windows and flattened the tires of a vehicle parked outside. One year later, the district attorney said, damage done to that very home and vehicle remained unfixed. “What can we do about this?” Dupree recalled asking Damon Daniel, executive director of Kansas City’s Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, in 2017. “And it took us about seven years to figure it out — to find the funding.” During a Tuesday press conference, Dupree, alongside Daniel and Kansas City, Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman, announced a new initiative meant assist crime victims as well as reduce and prevent gun violence in the community. The two-year program, funded with a $687,000 federal grant, will help pay for temporary relocations, home repairs, counseling and transportation, among other things. Dupree said Tuesday the initiative will offer some services that “are not currently available in this county.”
Source: KC Star

Much of Kansas is at ‘high risk’ of West Nile virus. Here’s why and how to stay safe

Keep your distance from mosquitoes if you’re in Kansas in the near future. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued high-risk and moderate warnings for West Nile virus across the state. Johnson and Wyandotte counties, located in the northeast region, are in moderate-risk areas, while Wichita, found in the south-central region, is in a high-risk area. About half of Kansas is considered high-risk areas because there are a high number of mosquitoes in those regions, and that increases the chances of residents being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus, according to the state health department. A moderate risk area means there is a moderate possibility of being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus.
Source: KC Star

Galena Police Chief Billy Joe Charles to Retire After 26 Years of Service

Chief Billy Joe Charles will retire on September 1, 2024, after a distinguished 26-year career in law enforcement and corrections. His service includes 11 years in the Army, 12 years in the Missouri National Guard, and key roles such as Inventory Controller for Lozier Corporation, Platoon Sergeant at Labette Women’s Correctional Camp, and Jail Administrator of the Cherokee County Jail. Charles has been the Police Chief of Galena since February 2016.
Source: KOAM

Half cent sales tax discussion held at Neosho County Community College

Neosho County citizens gathered in the Cleaver Room at Neosho County Community College Tuesday to learn more about the .5 percent sales tax that will be on the Aug. 6 primary ballot. This ballot measure would not increase the current sales tax but would repurpose an already existing sales tax for other projects over the next ten years. An estimated $16 million is projected to be collected over that time period. Should voters in Neosho County not vote in favor of the half cent sales tax, the sales tax in Neosho County would decrease by .5 percent and the government would have to look elsewhere to fund projects for roadway and bridge construction, maintenance and improvements.
www.chanute.com/news/article_5b5b650a-4ac1-11ef-b51a-cb8833fbcfac.html

Grenola, Topeka, Osawatomie: How 21 Kansas cities got their unique names

Four men who founded Cawker City in 1870 in north-central Kansas played poker against each other to win the right to name it. The winner, Col. E.H. Cawker, named the city after himself. … It is among numerous incorporated cities in Kansas with names that are interesting and unique. Following are 20 others.
Source: CJonline

As Lawrence city leaders ponder creation of open alcohol consumption area, here’s how other cities implemented their programs

The plan to create a common consumption area, or CCA, a designated area where people could walk around with drinks they purchased from bars or restaurants that opted in to the program, generated more questions than answers from commissioners. … As the city works to distill its ideas for a CCA into a stronger proposal, the Journal-World reached out to cities across the state about the reality of having a common consumption area. Though a law was first passed for the creation of them in 2017, a tweak to the language in 2023 made it easier for CCAs to exist. Since then, 40 others have been proposed across the state.
Read more: LJWorld.com

Municipal Bond Trends for July 25, 2024

KS Supreme Court: Local Zoning Powers (American Warrior, Inc. v. Board of Finney County Comm’rs)

K.S.A. 12-741(a) grants counties the authority to enact zoning regulations without state interference so long as those local enactments do not conflict with the Planning, Zoning, and Subdivision Regulations in Cities and Counties Act, K.S.A. 12-741 et seq. Exercising that authority, Finney County adopted local rules delegating the issuance of conditional use permits to a separate Finney County Board of Zoning Appeals. A Court of Appeals panel majority held the County could not do that, while a dissenting judge agreed with the district court that it could. See American Warrior, Inc. v. Board of Finney County Comm’rs, 63 Kan. App. 2d 123, 525 P.3d 789 (2023). We granted review to resolve the dispute. We hold the County’s regulations do not conflict with state law. The Zoning Board validly issued the conditional use permit that sparked this litigation. We reverse the panel majority and affirm the district court.
Read the case: American Warrior, Inc. v. Board of Finney County Comm’rs

‘We have a housing shortage’: Topeka wages are static as rentals costs rise

“We definitely need more housing in Topeka. That’s been an ongoing issue for quite some time,” said Topeka Housing Authority CEO Trey George. “We have a housing shortage across all types of housing. There’s a need for approximately 4,000 additional units for home ownership and rentals.” Renting has become the most viable option for many families due to the rising costs associated with owning a home.
Source: CJonline

Hospitals give medical students a taste of rural Kansas hoping they’ll eventually work there

Footsteps and excited chatter of medical students from the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine fill the CommonSpirit hospital in Dodge City. … The students are part of a program that immerses them in rural areas, specifically in southwest Kansas, to let them shadow health care professionals. Officials from the program hope this will encourage more future physicians to consider practicing in western Kansas, where health care facilities are regularly understaffed.
Source: KCUR News