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.

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.

As a way to help address pet overpopulation in local shelters, Overland Park is making some changes to its city codes aimed at making it easier to have pets and appropriately license them in the city. These changes follow several months of discussion on the matter after leadership from Great Plains SPCA — the Merriam-based nonprofit animal shelter that houses animals for Overland Park Animal Control — presented the issue to the Overland Park City Council Public Safety Committee.
Source: Johnson County Post

It’s been over a month since the city of Emporia first proposed a joint task force involving local taxing authorities poised to research mill levy reduction options for all residents. Since that time, all three major taxing entities, the city, Lyon County and USD 253 Emporia as well as the Emporia Recreation Commission, have reviewed the proposed task force, but only one has indicated a desire to move forward with it, that being the entity that proposed it, the City of Emporia. For the others, discussions have been held but have either ceased or been tabled with no action taken or indication towards progression given.
Source: d2430

A new lawsuit by a Prairie Village resident contends the charter ordinance the city is using to authorize $30 million in bonds is illegal. At issue is a new “municipal complex” the city wishes to build, which would combine the police and municipal court in one building and a new city hall on the other side of the property at 7820 Mission Road in Prairie Village. The city is using a charter ordinance passed in 2016 to finance a roughly $3 million streetlight project to prevent citizens from voting on the project, despite a recent poll finding that residents overwhelmingly want the opportunity to vote.
Source: The Sentinel

For years, fans of “The Wizard of Oz” have been flocking to the Oz Museum in Wamego. If it’s been a while since you visited, you might want to get there soon. An important prop from the 1939 movie is currently on display — and it’s never been seen in public before.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

The City of Dodge City has announced that Phase 6 of the Downtown Streetscape Project will begin on Monday, June 23, per a post on Facebook The construction areas will include a section of 2nd Avenue between Gunsmoke Street and Front Street, the El Capitan Statue area, and Front Street between 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue, including the parking area, as shown on the map below.
Source: Western Kansas News

Ogden’s former city treasurer on Monday in Riley County District Court pleaded guilty to misappropriation of public funds and submitting false expenses. Jimmy Bond, 71, pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of between $25,000 and $100,000 public funds and one count of official misconduct by submitting false expenses over $25,000.
Source: News Radio KMAN

The Mulvane Recreation Commission, Mulvane Chamber of Commerce, Mulvane Community Foundation and Mulvane Senior Center are partnering on an event to celebrate the city’s new mode of public transportation from 10 to 11:30 a.m. June 30 in the senior center parking lot.
Source: www.derbyinformer.com – RSS Results in news/area_news of type article

Ogden’s former city treasurer on Monday in Riley County District Court pleaded guilty to misappropriation of public funds and submitting false expenses. Jimmy Bond, 71, pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of between $25,000 and $100,000 public funds and one count of official misconduct by submitting false expenses over $25,000. He was serving as treasurer to the township of Ogden when he said the hiring he did for cemetery maintenance was not done legally.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Monday was a busy day at the Hillsboro water plant. A hot, windless weekend had created an algae bloom at Marion Reservoir, meaning iron and manganese levels had shot up in the town’s water supply. Water plant employees —three in total, plus Richard Fine, a retired Agco employee who helps out — learned of the bloom immediately, thanks to a buoy system that measures oxygen levels at the reservoir water intake.
Source: Marion County RECORD

In a dispute stemming from Marion withholding incriminating open records, a judge awarded more than $75,000 Thursday to the District Judge Ben Sexton had ruled April 4 that the city acted in “bad faith” and ordered it to pay the legal fees of Bernie Rhodes, who represents the Among the documents the city concealed was a text message from then-Mayor David Mayfield saying he had met with Sheriff Jeff Soyez and then-Police Chief Gideon Cody three days before police raided the paper’s newsroom and told Cody he “was behind him and his investigation 100%.”
Source: Marion County RECORD

The Topeka City Council voted to approve cuts to city code regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) under the condition the matter be referred back to committee so that future amendments can be made. City Councilmember Spencer Duncan motioned to approve changes recommended by Policy and Finance Committee during the Tuesday, June 17 meeting. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Karen Hiller and passed 5-1 with Deputy Mayor Brett Kell voting no. The proposed amendments came after news the city was about to lose $45 million in federal funding unless the city removed language pertaining to DEI.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a declaration of disaster Wednesday due to widespread damage caused by recent storms and flooding. Kelly issued the proclamation just after 2:30 p.m. on June 18. The declaration was prompted by recent severe weather in parts of central Kansas from June 16-17. Kelly’s declaration allows for resources to be used to help provide state assistance to areas hit by the severe weather. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has partially activated the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka to monitor flooding and help counties with any weather-related recovery needs they might have at this time.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Arkansas City is cleaning up after several rounds of severe weather brought heavy rain, large hail, and widespread power outages. The city says it received 3.87 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 4.83 inches since Sunday. Tuesday night’s storm dropped golf ball to baseball-size hail, damaging property and breaking car windows.
Source: KSN-TV

In the next few weeks, Sedgwick’s downtown pocket park will come alive with color and pride. The city council unanimously approved a proposal from 2025 Sedgwick High School graduate Autin Thieme to paint the outside wall of the police department in the pocket park for a cost not to exceed $14,000.
Source: Harvey County Now

An advisory group told Wichita school leaders Wednesday that the district needs to clarify its message and rebuild trust in the community before seeking another bond issue. District leaders wanted the financial oversight committee to recommend putting a bond issue to voters by March 2026. But committee members rejected that plan, saying the state’s largest district has not made a clear case for why it needs a bond or precisely how it would use the money to rebuild and repair schools.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Parking meters will begin to be installed along Douglas, Emporia and St. Francis streets in downtown Wichita next week. The installation marks the beginning of paid parking downtown.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Kansas farm income in 2025 is expected to be among the strongest in the last 20 years, bolstered by $2 billion in government payments for depressed crop prices and weather conditions, an agricultural economics expert said Tuesday.
Source: Kansas Reflector

The Garden City Commission gave direction to staff to move forward with amending the city’s Code of Ordinances and Zoning Regulations to allow for indoor smoking and cigar lounges at its regular meeting on Tuesday.
Source: Garden City Telegram