Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Miami County voters shoot down $40 million school bond proposal and new sales tax for courthouse

Voters took a stance against taxes and unseated school board incumbents in Paola and Osawatomie during the Nov. 7 general election. Two of the biggest questions on the ballot were Paola USD 368’s $40 million school bond proposal and Miami County’s proposed quarter-cent sales tax for the renovation and expansion of the historic Miami County Courthouse. Both proposals failed by similar margins, with 60 percent of voters saying “no” and 40 percent saying “yes.” … One tax-related question was successful on election night. Osawatomie voters renewed the city’s quarter-cent sales tax for public safety equipment with 233 “yes” votes to 180 “no” votes, according to the unofficial results.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com

Allen County residents seek answers on new floodplain maps

An open house on Tuesday was designed to answer questions about a new floodplain maps. Most Allen County residents got good news, as 85 properties no longer are listed in the floodplain. Eight were added. Debbie Menzie was surprised to receive a notice that her home is now in a floodplain. It’s never flooded at her home in the north part of Iola, just off Washington Street. Not even close. She attended an open house on Tuesday at the Community Building in Riverside Park, hosted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture to review new floodplain maps. The new maps show 85 properties are no longer in the floodplain. Eight, including Menzie’s home, have been added. Property owners who have a federally-backed mortgage must have flood insurance if their home is in the floodplain. Menzie said she has never needed flood insurance. She doesn’t have a mortgage so she isn’t required to carry it. She attended Tuesday’s event to discuss her options. She’s not sure if she wants to purchase flood insurance, just in case. “It’s a risk,” Menzie said. “I’m still not sure what I’m going to do but I’ll look into it.”
Source: The Iola Register

Allen County voters reject courthouse remodel

A proposal to renovate the Allen County Courthouse because of security issues failed with 76% of voters opposed. The other bond issue on the ballot, for renovations at the Crest school district, passed comfortably. City council and school board races also were decided. Allen County voters overwhelmingly rejected Tuesday a proposed $9.95 million bond issue to renovate the Allen County Courthouse. … Such huge margins represent a stinging defeat for the plan’s proponents, which included District Judge Dan Creitz and Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy, who attempted to convince voters the renovations were needed to improve security at the courthouse.
Source: The Iola Register

Community input vital to winning public’s support on bond issues

It took four bond issues for local citizens to support building a new school in Iola. Administrators learned the secret was paying attention to public input. A countywide referendum on whether to renovate the Allen County courthouse likely drew more voters to the polls Tuesday than in a typical off-year election. An estimated 2,510 voters — or about 29% of Allen County’s 8,698 registered voters — weighed in. … As local school administrators can attest, community engagement is vital to passing bond issues. After three failed measures to build new schools — 1979, 1985 and 2014 — local voters in 2019 approved a $35 million issue to build a new elementary school, high school science center and an HVAC overhaul for the middle school.
Source: The Iola Register

Kansas officials begin process of restoring court information access after ‘security incident’

Nearly a month after a “security incident” with all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, Kansas judicial officials are slowly renewing public access to court information. But for now, that access requires a trip to the state’s capital city. The state’s judicial branch on Tuesday announced it has opened a public access service center at the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka. … efforts to bring the judicial branch systems back online will occur in phases and that no firm timeline has been established on when all functions will be fully restored. The massive outage on Oct. 12 left attorneys unable to search online records and forced them to file motions the old fashioned way — on paper. The disruption has caused a huge slowdown of court operations across the state.
Source: KMBC.com

An old Johnson County fire station will soon become a coffee shop. ‘It’s exciting’

In the ’70s, the brick building at 19115 Midland Drive in Shawnee was home to volunteer firefighters. The side of the building, now painted with sunflowers, was once a garage door that opened for wailing fire trucks. Then the fire department built a larger station, packed up its hoses and traveled across the street. One day Courtney and John Nelson, now owners of the building, looked at the old firehouse and thought: “Coffee shop?” Yes, a great spot for a coffee shop, they agreed. “It’s exciting,” Courtney said. “It’s something that we liked and thought would be a good addition.” Early next year, the Nelsons hope to open Station 3 Coffee Shop inside the old Shawnee Fire Station 3. Possibly in January.
Source: Joco 913 News

Overland Park approves new weed ordinance

This isn’t about the “weed” some might be thinking of. The Overland Park City Council met Monday night to approve an update to the city’s Weed and Vegetation Enforcement Act. The act encourages those living in the city to grow native plants. This is the first adjustment made to the ordinance since 2011. “The ordinance was also out of sync with sustainable landscaping practices promoted through the City’s stormwater cost-share program,” City Sustainability Manager Lara Isch said. “This program promotes beneficial native plantings and rain gardens, and the update brings the City’s code into alignment with that goal.”
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

A baby bust hits Kansas, bringing tough choices for Kansas school districts

Kansas is in the midst of a baby bust. Numbers released in May by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment tell the plain story: In 2022, there were 34,476 live births – a slight decrease from 34,697 births the year before, but a huge drop from the nearly 42,000 new Kansans born in 2008 amidst the Great Recession. Put it in a different context – there were just 11.7 new babies born for every 1,000 Kansans in 2022. That is a historically low number. “This is the lowest birth rate for Kansas residents since the state created a centralized vital records system in 1911,” KDHE said. Talk to demographers and you’ll hear myriad reasons explaining the bust. They’ll also tell you it’s not just a Kansas thing: Birth rates have been falling across the country for more than a decade. “I think one of the things that’s apparent from that research is there’s no single explanation,” says Sarah Hayford, a sociologist at Ohio State University who studies family formation and reproductive health and has been tracking the national decline. But observers say that other demographic shifts – young Kansans moving away from rural areas to cities, suburbs and very often out of state – have exacerbated the drop in births here.
Source: KLC Journal

Governor Kelly Announces More than $10M to Build Community Multi-Purpose Facilities, Expand Access to Child Care

Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund today announced the first round of Capital Projects Fund Accelerator (CPF Accelerator) awards, which will go to three Kansas communities to build or renovate multi-purpose community facilities. These facilities will create 313 new licensed child care slots; provide access to high-speed internet; and house programs that facilitate work, education, and health care monitoring. “Kansas parents need safe, affordable child care so they can join the workforce without worrying how they’ll make ends meet,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “That’s why we’re investing in these community centers, which will offer more options for child care along with providing essential health, educational, and technological services.” The CPF Accelerator Request for Proposals remains open for a second round of submissions through December 18, 2023. Approximately $28 million remains available to continue supporting the expansion of multi-purpose community facilities that meet all program criteria. Combined with the Child Care Capacity Accelerator Grant programs previously announced this year, the Kelly administration is on track to infuse more than $94 million towards expanding access to child care for working families.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Municipal Bond Trends for November 9, 2023

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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.

Municipal Bond Trends for November 8, 2023

In Garden City, 20-year-old son of Vietnamese immigrants wins city commission seat

Tom Nguyen wanted to run for office after his parents, both Vietnamese immigrants, became U.S. citizens in March. “What’s more American than to run for public office?” Nguyen said. Nguyen, 20, won a seat on the Garden City city commission according to unofficial results Tuesday from the Finney County Clerk’s Office. Nguyen secured his seat with 1,682 total votes, more than any other of the five candidates who were up for three open seats. “My heart is so full of all of the love that has been offered to me by our community,” Nguyen said. “My win has plowed the ground for the younger generation to see how important and invaluable their young voices are.”
Source: KAKE – News

Voters decide on sales tax issues across Kansas

Voters decided on sale tax issues across Kansas. Derby increases its sales tax by 1%, with 55% percent of voters approving it. The new tax will bring in $5 million a year for roads, parks, new police cars and fire equipment. In Fowler, voters approved a one-cent sales tax. Most of the money goes to the school district for art and music teachers. The rest will pay off debt and lower property taxes. Conway Springs voters gave approval to a 2% hike. The money will be used to fix roads. Plains in Meade County rejected a half-cent sales tax that would have been used to repay a $500,000 loan the city received to open a grocery store in 2021.
Source: KSN-TV

Solar developers are flocking to Kansas. But many communities are skeptical of their proposals.

About 10 miles north of El Dorado on U.S. Highway 77, a break appears in the rolling cattle ranches and farmland of the Flint hills. It’s a different sort of farm – a solar farm. It supplies electricity to several small towns throughout Lincoln Township in Butler County. “We’re not anti-solar,” said Terry Lowmaster, a trustee of the township, which gets some of this electricity. “We have a one megawatt here in our backyard that benefits our local residents.” At the same time, he and other local residents protested earlier this year when a Chicago-based developer applied for a permit to build a new solar farm – a $550 million dollar, 3,500-acre project. His reasoning for his opposition to one, and not the other? The existing solar farm is just 12 acres. Plus, it’s run by a local rural electric cooperative. “They have an office downtown. The employees live in the area. Their kids go to school with our kids, our grandkids,” Lowmaster said. “It’s home, you know? It’s a community, and they’re part of it.”… Lowmaster doesn’t see why he should trust solar corporations from out-of-town. He wondered how they could be held accountable on certain promises, like the number of jobs the project is meant to create or training for local firefighters. “They swoop in, they develop, they sell, and they’re gone,” Lowmaster said.
Source: KCUR News

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2023-11: Submission of Land Surveys

Synopsis: A register of deeds cannot require a submitting land surveyor to certify that a survey complies with all zoning ordinances and regulations.
Source: Kansas Attorney General Opinions

Municipal Bond Trends for November 7, 2023

Derby votes to approve a higher sales tax

Derby voters approved a sales tax increase expected to generate around $4 million to $5 million annually with the aim of alleviating property taxes while supporting public safety, streets, sidewalks, parks and trails. The tax increase was approved by 55% of voters, according to Sedgwick County unofficial election results Tuesday night. The “1% Derby Difference sales tax” will replace the current half percent sales tax that expires on Dec. 31, 2024, according to the city’s website. The new 1% sales tax would start on Jan. 1, 2025 and run through Dec. 31, 2034. Derby’s overall sales tax rate now is 8%, with most of that going to the state. The increase will push Derby’s overall sales tax rate to 8.5% in 2025. “I’m excited for the City of Derby, I can’t help it,” Derby Mayor Randy White said in a phone call after the vote. “I’m excited that the citizens can see what good things we can do with this 1% sales tax.” In a survey earlier this year, a majority of Derby residents said they prefer sales tax over property taxes. Sales tax dollars would go to public safety equipment, capital improvements and maintenance, and improvements to streets, sidewalks, parks and trails.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Leawood sends funds to Israeli sister city amid ongoing war

The city of Leawood has stepped in to help Israelis during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The Leawood City Council on Monday approved a $25,000 donation to its sister city, the Gezer Region of Israel. The donation goes to the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, which will send the funds directly to humanitarian efforts in Gezer. The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City has already raised roughly $2.6 million for Israel through its own efforts, according to representatives from the organization. Leawood and Gezer officially became sister cities in September 2003, after Leawood city representatives visited Gezer in 2002. In 2009, the city of Leawood built and dedicated Gezer Park at 133rd Street and Mission Road to its sister city, and the 10-acre park also features two public art pieces in tribute to Gezer. Gezer is one of two sister cities to Leawood — the other city being I-Lan, Taiwan. The $25,000 comes out of the city’s annual budget for both sister cities, Gezer and I-Lan.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Stop Rezoning-backed candidates win four seats on Prairie Village City Council

In some of Johnson County’s most-watched general election races this year, Prairie Village candidates backed by the Stop Rezoning group won four city council seats. A fifth Stop Rezoning-backed candidate remains in a close contest and will need to wait until provisional and mail-in ballots are counted for a final result. This year, the Prairie Village City Council election was in the spotlight as the 11 candidates vying for six seats were split on the hotly contested housing discussion, which has divided the city for more than a year. More than half of the candidates were supported by Stop Rezoning Prairie Village, the group of residents who banded together last year in opposition to the city’s ad hoc housing recommendations.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Darth Blader? Wichita has named its winter snow plows and you can track their progress

The weather may not feel like winter quite yet, but the first snow of the season could come sooner than you think. In preparation for slushy streets, the city of Wichita held a news conference Monday to discuss its plan for inclement winter weather and highlight some changes for the coming season. When the city experiences inclement weather that requires snow plows, it prioritizes the first 1,500 emergency routes and emergency facilities, major arteries, hospitals and schools. Wichita has 148 hired snow plow drivers to respond to roadway conditions, officials said. The city does not maintain state highways, like Kellogg and Interstate 135. It also doesn’t plow residential streets, and the city does not maintain a means for residents to request plow services. … community members can track where the snow plows are working at wichita.gov/snowremoval.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle