Municipal News & Jobs

The City of Wichita operates 39 boards. There is a proposal coming from the City Manager’s office to reduce or consolidate several of them. The plan was presented on Feb. 24 during the City Council Workshop by Zamaria Ball, the city’s Management Fellow. For the last six months, Ball has been studying the boards and developed a five-part justification matrix to decide whether a board should be consolidated, remain in place, or disbanded. The criteria included inactivity, vacancy duration, scope drift, overlapping missions, and access and transparency. Some, such as the Library Board, the various District Advisory Boards, or Access Advisory Board are state-mandated, “essential to core government functions,” or arose due to a legal settlement. Others, such as the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board or Sustainability Integration Board, arose due to public interest or upon the city’s receipt of a federal grant. These are not necessarily “operationally necessary” according to the Wichita Board and Commissions Review Draft Report and subject to evaluation.  
Read more: KLC Journal

The requisite large urn of coffee and boxes of glazed doughnuts sat on the back table as men and women, many clad in fluorescent orange and green, gathered in the Great Bend Columbus Club on a Tuesday morning in February. The occasion was Barton County’s annual township meeting, and officers from many of the county’s 24 townships were on hand. There were updates from county officials on roads, floodplains, 911 and noxious weeds, and sales pitches from vendors selling road graders and culverts. One of those reports was a broken-record ask from County Clerk Bev Schmeidler, who repeatedly makes the pleads for candidates for township offices.
Read more: KLC Journal

Derby Public Library is forgiving overdue book fees — no questions asked — for one month. In April, the library is hosting Amnesty Month, allowing borrowers to return overdue books regardless of how long it’s been. Patrons must visit the library in person and speak to a staff member to have their fees waived. Previously incurred fines can also be waived.
Read more: KSN-TV

Wichita and Sedgwick County leaders continued talks on shared projects at their first joint meeting of the year Tuesday. Out of the five agenda items at the meeting, a discussion on potentially combining city and county fire services garnered hefty discussion. Supporters of this consolidation say it could mean public dollars are paying for one department’s response to emergencies rather than two, without sacrificing response times. They say local governments must adjust their services to meet the region’s growing infrastructure and rising population. Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty says increased alignment between the two fire departments could help raise efficiency without sacrificing response times.
Read more: KSN-TV

Leaders with the nuclear innovation company TerraPower continue to look at potential plant sites in Kansas. TerraPower has not announced a site in Kansas yet, but company leaders were in Johnson County Tuesday night to discuss where the project stands and what it would mean for growing energy demands. “We’re not ready to announce any sites. Multiple communities in Kansas have kind of raised their hand and said they’re willing to host a Natrium power plant,” said TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque. In December, FOX4 reported that De Soto was one of the many communities across the state that expressed interest in the facility.
Read more: KSN-TV

The City of Topeka is welcoming two new faces in top leadership positions Friday. The City of Topeka announced on March 27 that Jason Tryon and Patricia Biggs will be taking up two major leadership roles within the city’s staff. Tryon will serve as the new director of Public Works, while Biggs will take up the position as chief information officer. Tryon and Biggs replace prior Chief Information Officer Randi Stahl and Public Works Director Steven Groen. The City of Topeka announced their departures from the city’s staff in November last year. Biggs and Tryon were selected as interim fill-ins following the departures of Groen and Stahl.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

A series of grants is helping Lincolnville Fire Department upgrade equipment, improve firefighter safety, and strengthen emergency response across Marion County. In the past year, Lincolnville secured five grants totaling $39,093, fire chief Lester Kaiser said. The money came from a Kansas Forest Service Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant, Atmos Energy, South Bow Energy, Tri County Telephone, and MFA Oil.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

Those who are going to Colwich for the first time in a while will now be greeted by a limestone monument to the town. On March 19, the City of Colwich unveiled its new sign east of Memorial Park. According to the City of Colwich, this is an idea that’s been four years in the making, with the biggest push coming over the last three years.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Douglas County-area law enforcement and first responders have joined a Blue Envelope program to help them better serve people who may respond to emergencies differently from the way officers are expecting. “Not everyone responds the same in dealing with emergent and often stressful circumstances,” according to a Wednesday news from the Lawrence Police Department. “A variety of medical and mental health conditions can also cause people to act in ways that concern first responders and increase tension.” Blue envelopes hold important documentation such as a driver’s license, proof of insurance and registration in one place, but they also explain medical conditions for the community member and the officer. “The envelope gives officers notice that the person might need a little more time, might avoid eye contact, act in ways that appear strange, or could be overwhelmed by lights and noise,” according to the release. Bailey Salsbury, a school resource officer with LPD, learned about the program and worked to coordinate the effort, according to the release. LPD, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, and the KU, Baldwin City and Eudora police departments are all participating.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

A bill on the brink of becoming law in Kansas would incentivize local cooperation with federal immigration authorities and make it a crime to come within 25 feet of a first responder — including an ICE agent — after being ordered to back up. The bill that lawmakers sent to Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk last week would remove the requirement that sheriff’s offices obtain county commission approval before entering into agreements with ICE. That provision was bundled with another piece of legislation that First Amendment advocates warn would give law enforcement officers broad, subjective power to arrest people whom they deem to be distracting them from carrying out their duties. ICE agents themselves would not be allowed to arrest people simply for approaching them under the proposed statute. Only state and local law enforcement officers could enforce the buffer zone. But the legislation is careful to identify federal officers of any agency as first responders — a definition that would be a first in Kansas law.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

A little more than a year after a $450 million bond issue narrowly failed at the polls, Wichita Public Schools said Tuesday that administrators were informally recommending the school board schedule a November bond vote. The district announced a series of community feedback sessions to better assess what parents and residents want to see improved in Wichita schools. The push to revive a bond issue – which the board will consider at its June meeting – comes as officials say a long list of facility needs continues to create problems for the district. Ahead of the 2025 vote, the district cited $1.2 billion in deferred maintenance, and earlier this month the Chester Lewis Academic Learning Center was shuttered before its planned closing date because of structural damage.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

Along Andover Road, the Andover Historical Museum holds a treasure trove of history. “I don’t think there’s a lot of people that even know how deep our roots are,” said Tricia Lee, president of the museum. “I’ve been finding lots of stuff in the 1800s, like boxing was a big thing here.” The museum has been around for decades, and the new board wants to start a new chapter. “Rebuild it and make this an official museum with real exhibits in it,” Lee said. Over the last year, volunteers have gone through each piece inside.
Read more: KSN-TV

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.

On Friday evening, the Kansas Legislature passed S Sub HB 2745 that allows 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.

If not vetoed by the Governor, a number of financial risks could arise for local governments, including …

• 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.
• Loss of the “Gold Standard” in Municipal Bonding: The bill restricts the ability of local governments to issue unlimited tax general obligation (ULTGO) bonds backed by the issuer’s authority to levy property taxes as necessary in order to ensure repayment of principal and interest due in-full and on-time.
• Bond Rating Downgrades: The bill could trigger downgrades of municipal bond ratings, making it harder for cities and counties to secure affordable financing for infrastructure and other critical projects.
• Higher Debt Service Costs: The loss of ULTGO authority would result in higher interest rates on future borrowing, increasing long-term debt service costs and placing additional strain on already limited local budgets.
• Difficulty Selling Debt: With the loss of ULTGO authority, selling debt at reasonable interest rates may become difficult, if not impossible (especially for small and medium sized cities) leading to increased borrowing costs and limited access to capital markets.
• Existing Debt: Existing obligations that depend on planned future tax revenue could require cuts to essential services, such as police, fire, or public works.
• Mid-Stream Project Terminations: Projects that are currently underway but not yet fully bonded could be forced to stop, resulting in “half-completed” infrastructure and wasted investments if future funds dry up.
• Canceled Planned Projects: Any planned projects may have to be canceled if bond funding can no longer be secured, stalling community development and improvements.
• Returned Grants: Grants already awarded to local governments might need to be returned if they require a local funding match that is no longer feasible.
• Loss of Economic Development and Housing Opportunities: Without access to financing, cities may be unable to support or attract new businesses and housing development, undermining job creation, housing availability, and local economic growth.

If the Governor does veto this bill, the Legislature still could attempt an override or additional legislation for the remainder of the 2026 session.

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

There’s a clean energy ordinance that could change soon. There’s the city’s strategic plan, which will soon get an update. There are two new city commissioners, a sustainability department with just a $4,000 operating budget for this year, and multiple other departments doing their own environmental work.
Read more: LJWorld

Prices are up for rural grocers, margins are thin, staff are hard to find and transportation costs are higher for small-town stores. Communities across Kansas have been attempting new ways to fill in the grocery gaps. But some of those solutions are coming up short.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

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.