Municipal News & Jobs

Progress continues as the Americus City Council gets ready to end the city’s police department operations. Mayor Dustin Wright tells KVOE News the inventory process is complete, thanks to the work of former police chief Jody Meyers. Evidence processing is next, and Wright says the goal is to have that work done by the next City Council meeting in May. Once the evidence processing is handled, Wright says the final steps towards disbanding the police department are an inventory and equipment sale and an evidence transfer to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office. Wright believes the process could be done within the next 60-90 days. Proceeds from the inventory sale will likely go to the general fund, likely for code enforcement, but that plan is officially pending.
Read more: KVOE

Johnson County leaders are looking decades ahead as development continues to spread to rural areas, especially near the Panasonic site in De Soto. The county board recently adopted a road network plan that could reshape how people move through the rural parts of the county. The plan is a recommendation, not a construction schedule, but it identifies which rural roads could need to be expanded to keep up with development pushing to the west. This means some roads might go from two lanes to four in the future, and other roads may open for the first time ever.
Read more: KSHB News

City commissioners unanimously voted to allow people to use UTVs on city roads with a new registration process.  The move follows that of nearby communities like Baldwin, Tonganoxie and De Soto. The ordinance will go into effect on June 1. Police Chief Wes Lovett said they reviewed these regulations when crafting Eudora’s.  The ordinance regulates the use of work-site utility vehicles. UTV or micro truck owners can drive in city limits if the owner resides in the 66025 zip code and registers their vehicle annually with the Police Department. The registration process requires a valid driver’s license, proof of liability insurance, an annual fee and registration sticker. Under the ordinance, the vehicles must be equipped with basic safety gear, including tail lamps, brakes, mirrors and seatbelts. Operation is limited to streets with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less. While drivers can cross state or federal highways, they are strictly prohibited from cruising along them.
Read more: The Eudora Times

“These things have to run 100 percent 100 percent of the time,” are the words that Hutchinson Fire Department mechanic Rick Spitler lives by when it comes to taking care of the department’s equipment. Spitler has been turning a wrench since he was 14 years old and broke a tooth when a driveshaft fell on him while he was changing it. For the past four years, he’s been the mechanic responsible for keeping all of HFD’s fire engines rolling. “When I got into high school, I was in shop class, and I figured out I could take stuff apart, put it back together, and it worked,” Spitler said. After high school, Spitler worked with his dad on mobile homes and then worked for the Buhler School District, maintaining and repairing school buses, before spending 18 years working on semis, which led him to the Hutchinson Fire Department.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Before they adjourned from their meeting on April 14, members of the Hutchinson Planning Commission spoke about the need for better data center zoning regulations. Commissioner Denice Gilliland was the first to bring up the subject, mentioning the joint Reno County, Hutchinson and South Hutchinson task force and saying that it should be on everyone’s agenda. No member of the Hutchinson Planning Commission was asked to be a part of the task force. Commission Chair Elaine Carter asked Associate Planner Paul Schiffelbein if the city had been working on tightening its zoning regulations around data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Schiffelbein said they had been after the latest city council meeting on April 7. Schiffelbein said they’re specifically looking to establish better zoning rules around large-scale utilities, which would be the classification data centers and BESS fall under.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

As part of its efforts to reduce its reliance on bonds for city projects, the City of Hutchinson is implementing a new program to fund smaller projects in the upcoming fiscal year. At the April 7 Hutchinson City Council meeting, city finance director Angela Richard outlined the new hybrid program, which is called PayGo. “PayGo is short for Pay-as-you-Go, which is what it sounds like-paying for projects/maintenance/equipment as you have the cash,” Richard said. “Hybrid would incorporate trying to pay for those projects we can cash finance, while still bonding for certain projects that meet certain requirements.” Because PayGo is new to the city, the city council hasn’t established the criteria for which projects are eligible for the program yet, she said.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Allen County will likely institute a nominal motor vehicle transaction fee to help cover operational costs within the Allen County treasurer’s office. A new state law allowing counties to add motor vehicle transaction fees could bring additional revenue to Allen County. County Treasurer Darolyn Maley told commissioners Tuesday morning that she plans to take a modest approach in implementing the change locally. Maley said the legislation comes after years of work by the County Treasurer’s Association to address funding gaps in motor vehicle departments across Kansas. “This is something that the state has finally passed to get a little bit more money in our funds,” she said. While some counties struggle to cover costs, she said Allen County has managed to stay afloat largely due to staffing arrangements that split duties between departments.
Read more: The Iola Register

Marysville Police Chief Anthony Escalante recently returned from the FBI National Academy, where he became the third consecutive Marysville police chief to graduate from the prestigious program on the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va. He was among 253 law enforcement officers who graduated in the 297th session of the academy, which consisted of men and women from 48 states and the District of Columbia. The 12-week class also included 26 members of law enforcement agencies from 24 countries, four military organizations and four federal civilian organizations.
Read more: www.marysvilleonline.net

Fast-rising floodwaters on Corndodger Creek about 6 a.m. Saturday washed one person downstream among about 32 campers who awoke to water rising in their tents. A man caught inside his tent and unable to escape was aided by two fellow campers who cut him out after he became entangled and was overtaken beneath the rushing water. The other man, who was swept away, was soon rescued by two men as he clung to a nearby county bridge, said Lee Tebbutt, St. George, president of the Kaw Valley Muzzleloaders that regularly camp on his family’s land there. Blue Rapids and Frankfort firefighters soon arrived and helped 11 members of the group who remained in the floodwaters after others made it to higher ground. All campers, shaken but alive, were taken to refuge in a farmhouse not far from Corndodger Creek, a campsite about 1.5 miles south of Kansas Highway 9 near 15th Road between Frankfort and Blue Rapids. Campers included adults and a few teens who were part of a Spring Thaw Rendezvous, an annual muzzleloader reenactment weekend event that’s been held at Corndodger Station for the past 30 years.
Read more: www.marysvilleonline.net

Marysville City Council took another step toward an animal shelter Monday night, when it decided to seek information on stamped plans from an engineer or architect for a roughly 24×40-foot building. The city’s Unified Land Development Code regulations require plans stamped by an engineer or architect for the zoning category for the proposed location at 1701 Spring St., directly behind the water plant. The site was chosen because the city owns the property and the current plans for the building were scaled back to fit on that site. The city has purchased 14 kennels, but the exact number of kennels to be included in the building is uncertain.
Read more: www.marysvilleonline.net

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.

Salina appealed the decision of the U.S. District Court in November 2025 that ruled the city violated Cozy’s First Amendment rights by stopping the painting of the restaurant’s wall with a UFO-themed mural and ordered the city to allow it to continue.
Read more: Salina Journal

USDA is making this $11 million investment through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program, which funds vital water infrastructure that directly benefits the health, economic vitality and environment of rural America.

The specifics of these Kansas projects are:

• A $420,000 grant will help purchase and install standby emergency generators at two critical pumping facilities for the city of Stafford. The generators will make the drinking water and wastewater utilities more resilient during future disasters.
• A $335,000 grant will help purchase and install Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system upgrades and a standby emergency generator at one water well pumping facility for the city of St. John. The generator and SCADA upgrades will make the drinking water utility more resilient during future disasters.
• A $78,000 grant will help install standby emergency generators at two water well pumping facilities for the city of Burdett. The pumps will make the drinking water utility more resilient to severe winter storms.
• A $1,000,000 grant and $3,500,000 loan will help the city of Linn Valley install a water transmission line from the City of La Cygne and distribution lines and meters throughout Linn Valley. Additionally, the city is constructing a 250,000-gallon elevated water storage tank.
• A $492,000 grant and $618,000 loan will help Riley County upgrade and install approximately 12,000 linear feet of 4-inch and 8-inch collection lines, 43 manhole replacements, 67 septic tank demos, five grinder stations, and surface removal and replacement. It also includes a new lift station, a new wet well, 4-inch sewer force main connection, electrical work, backup generator, discharging lagoon and an irrigation pump station.
• An $813,000 grant and $3,684,000 loan will assist the city of Mankato with their Phase II Water Project including installation of approximately 22,000 linear feet of water mains, 173 service connections with domestic water meters, 28 fire hydrants, 2-inch commercial water meters, a new water tower and a new chlorination building.
• A $622,000 grant and $211,000 loan will help the city of Toronto construct approximately 41,000 linear feet of water line pipes. The project will also include 74 gate valves, 28 fire hydrants, 170 water meter assemblies, and interior and exterior coating of the existing water tower.

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 Kansas Department of Commerce today announced Apogee Power, a Taiwan-based energy technology and advanced battery manufacturer, has selected Liberal as the location for its new U.S. manufacturing and assembly facility. The company will invest almost $16 million over the next three to five years and create 80 new jobs. “In Kansas, we have a strong advanced battery ecosystem, talented workforce and central location that companies from around the world are eagerly looking to access,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Apogee’s decision to expand their work into Liberal highlights the strength of our rural communities and Kansas’ ability to compete on a global scale.” The facility, located in Liberal’s industrial corridor, will support the assembly, testing and distribution of Apogee’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery systems and related energy storage technologies for commercial, industrial and grid-scale applications across the United States. The company anticipates hiring 30 employees in the initial phase — with additional positions coming online as production ramps up.
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

Undersheriff Jason Vanbecelaere and Finance Director Adam Harrison of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office approached the county commission, on Friday, about restarting an old program — work release. According to Harrison, a person can be incarcerated at the Crawford County Jail for up to a year and will be facing payment of fees and fines upon release. By allowing qualified prisoners the opportunity to work while serving their time, they can begin to pay those fines and fees before their release. It also allows them an opportunity to keep their present employment. Certain prisoners would not be eligible for the program, such as violent offenders or flight risks, they said, but those who do qualify can get a second chance and put past mistakes behind them.
Read more: -Morning Sun

After the Governor vetoed HB 2745 on Thursday, HB 2043 passed the Legislature late Friday evening and would still allow voters (through a protest petition signed by 10% of voters) to effectively veto a budget with property taxes increased beyond the CPI (inflation index), or 3%, whichever is lower, with some exceptions. The Governor will have 10 days to decide whether to sign, veto or simply allow to become law.

Some concerns with this legislation include:

• Cumulative Revenue Erosion: Because the 3% cap acts as a bottleneck during years of high inflation (it was 8.0% in 2022), property tax revenue could quickly fall behind actual costs, creating a permanent ever-growing revenue gap.
• While “bonds” generally are exempt, lease payments related to PBC revenue bonds and COPs entered into after July 1, 2026, could fall under the property tax limit. These are essential tools for financing non-utility infrastructure like city halls, fire stations, police stations, and swimming pools.

To discuss specific projects or concerns, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor.

Republican legislators overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto to create a 25-foot buffer around law enforcement and emergency personnel, a move the Senate leader said ensures Kansas won’t become like Minnesota. Senate President Ty Masterson said in a news release that House Bill 2372, referred to as the Halo Act, keeps “radical protesters” from interfering with law enforcement and keeps officers and bystanders safe. Masterson referred to riots in Minnesota when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers injured and killed bystanders while detaining immigrants. The bill makes it a misdemeanor crime to go within 25 feet of a first responder while they are working. A violation can result in a fine up to $1,000 and jail term of up to six months. In addition, the bill outlines regulations for Kansas law enforcement to work with ICE, including allowing sheriffs to detain individuals on an immigration detainer request and to sign ICE contracts without seeking approval from county commissioners. It also requires municipal insurance pools to cover law enforcement officers when they are enforcing federal law.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

The Wamego Tulip Festival returns this weekend, bringing expanded events, live entertainment and nearly 300 vendors to one of northeast Kansas’ largest spring celebrations. The Wamego Chamber of Commerce’s tourism and events coordinator, Corey Reeves, said the festival saw significant growth in recent years and now offers something for visitors of all ages. “It really is a little bit of everything,” Reeves said. “If you’re looking for music, we’ve got it. If you’re looking for food trucks, local breweries and wineries, we’ve got it. And if you want arts and crafts for your home, we’ve got a whole lot of that.” In addition to vendor booths, sporting events including pickleball and basketball tournaments are also planned.
Read more: News Radio KMAN