Kansas Municipal News
Saline County begins deep dive into budget, with a focus on trimming expenses
Saline County’s Board of Commissioners began to look at a preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with a focus on trimming down expenses and limiting potential tax increases. Department heads and other county staff presented their requested portions of the budget at the commission’s weekly meeting May 30. In the next couple months, the county will continue to revise and refine the budget, narrowing the requests made by the county departments and non-county entities. Last week, the commission got a brief first look at the preliminary budget. At that time, County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes noted property-tax supported fund requests were initially 16.66% higher than what was adopted in 2023. Among other county staff, the commissioners noted that kind of increase is not possible.
Source: Salina Journal
City raises concerns about water supply as Wichita records driest spring in decades
Wichita is in an exceptional drought. Thursday, Wichita officials talked about measures to stave off the drought during a briefing that had to move inside because of rain. “I know it’s raining, but we do have to talk about our drought situation here in Wichita and this region,” Mayor Brandon Whipple said. Joining Whipple was Don Henry, assistant utilities department director of Wichita Public Works & Utilities. Henry said the day’s rain may mean short-term improvements in greener grass, but the threat of the drought still looms. “I know that the farmers will appreciate the rain, but in terms of public water supply and managing that through a drought, we have to keep our eye on Cheney Reservoir.” That reservoir accounts for nearly half of Wichita’s drinking water. Its levels are affected not only by the amount of rainfall, but also by the amount of run-off that reaches Cheney.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Wichita warned about political sign ordinance
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is warning the city of Wichita that it’s not adhering to a state law regulating the placement of political signs during an election. Kobach last week sent a letter to Mayor Brandon Whipple flatly stating that the city’s sign code was illegal. The letter points out that under state law, a city may not prohibit the placement or the number of political signs on private property or in the right of way for 45 days before an election and two days after the election.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Atchison Firefighters wrap up May with unusual rescues
Some might say that several out-of-the-ordinary calls for rescues Atchison Firefighters responded to during the month of May mostly resulted in “purr-fect” outcomes. Chief Patrick Weishaar, Atchison Fire Department, reported three of these rescues involved cats that were not the “cat in the tree” like firefighters normally respond to. The latest of these occurred Tuesday, May 30, at about 4:30 p.m. at the AFD station located at 218 N. Sixth St.
Source: www.atchisonglobenow.com
Baxter Springs Historical Society breaks ground on Route 66 roadside park
Members of the Baxter Springs Historical Society broke ground recently on a future Route 66 roadside park. It will adjoin the Route 66 Visitors Center and provide parking for downtown Baxter Springs, a mural wall and a statue commemorating Baxter Springs’ heritage as the first cowtown in Kansas. “I’m incredibly excited to start work on this project,” Jordan Adams, Historical Society Board president, said in a statement. “This will serve as a fantastic gateway to downtown shops and restaurants while highlighting the colorful history of our area.” The historical society noted the community’s diverse history, from being a stop on the Black Dog Trail to William Quantrill’s raid on Fort Blair during the Civil War to its place on Route 66.
Source: www.joplinglobe.com
Galesburg seeks community building funds from county
Representatives of Galesburg asked the Neosho County Commission for $100,000 Tuesday to continue renovations to the community building. Galesburg Mayor Adam Tromsness and council member Nancy Dague requested the amount from the funds the county receives in lieu of taxes from the Neosho Ridge wind farm. The Galesburg Community Building has undergone $200,000 in renovations since the city bought it in 2021 and is two-thirds complete. It now houses the city offices and plans call for a meeting area and kitchen improvements.
Source: www.chanute.com
Topeka’s TopCity Intern program sees record enrollment
The Capital City welcomed a record number of interns to its summer internship program. Forge Young Talent held a kick-off event Thursday evening at the Topeka Zoo for this year’s group of TopCity Interns. Organizers said close to 400 interns from 39 companies in Shawnee County are taking part in the program this summer. Forge Young Talent offers them a chance to see everything Topeka has to offer. Forge Executive Director Rhett Flood said they hope to convince these young professionals to stay in the Capital City once they enter the job market.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Municipal Bond Trends for June 1, 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.
Holton city sales tax election is Tuesday, June 6
A special election to determine whether a half-cent sales tax for infrastructure maintenance and improvements and debt service will continue for the next 10 years in Holton will be held next Tuesday, June 6, it has been reported. Holton residents will be able to vote on the sales tax issue from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day at Holton First Baptist Church, located at 404 Juniper Drive in Holton, and voters are reminded to bring an ID to vote. The election was set by a resolution approved in April by the Holton City Commission.
Source: Holton Recorder
Kansas Appleseed highlights food insecurities at Topeka summit
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, Paige Olson was struggling to provide for her Iola family of five, unsure when their next meal would come. Olson talked about her struggles as part of a Kansas Appleseed summit Wednesday at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. Olson, southeast Kansas advocate for Kansas Appleseed, and her colleagues met with the public to address the needs of Kansans and available resources. “During the pandemic, I was working at a coffee shop and making minimum wage, and my husband had lost his job, he was unemployed, and we have three kids,” Olson said during an interview at the summit. “So we were trying to figure out: How are we going to feed our family?”
Source: Kansas Reflector
Hutchinson’s interim city manager looks forward to helping city thrive
Hutchinson City Councilmembers voted to hire Mary Grace Clements as the Interim City Manager late Friday afternoon. … Clements is most likely the first female city manager in Hutchinson, at least for the past 40 years. A native upstate New Yorker, she has lived around the country, most recently serving as vice president for Allegiant Airlines and executive director of the Reno County Historical Society. She has lived in Hutchinson since 2015.
Source: Hutch News
Kansas is sending $2M to Topeka entities to make up for a ‘bureaucratic snafu’
Kansas taxpayers will be reimbursing Shawnee County taxpayers for a “bureaucratic snafu” that meant three months worth of a dedicated sales tax went uncollected. The $2 million will go to the Gage Park Improvement District after the Kansas Department of Revenue failed to implement on time a voter-approved sales tax increase. “Once it comes in, the authority wants to talk about how to allocate it and to make sure we make a difference with it, because the community, I think, passing the sales tax wants to see something fairly soon that’s making a positive change in Gage Park,” said Rep. Fred Patton, R-Topeka.
Source: CJonline
Council gives OK to bid on Hotel Topeka during next week’s auction
The city of Topeka will attempt to purchase a well-known local hotel. The city’s mayor and council voted 7-2 Tuesday afternoon to authorize the city to take part next week in an auction in which it will have a chance to acquire The Hotel Topeka at City Center, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd. … ‘Today, the city of Topeka has stepped up and ensured that our future as a convention destination isn’t left to chance,’ said Sean Dixon, president of Visit Topeka. The hotel, built in 1997, will be up for auction next week.
Source: CJonline
Kansas Launches Broadband Speed Test and Comprehensive Expansion Plan
The Kansas Office of Broadband Development is developing a comprehensive strategic plan to expand broadband infrastructure statewide and ensure every Kansan has access to reliable high-speed internet. To assist in this and provide accurate data for the plan, the department is calling on residents to participate in an important online speed test and survey. The data collected ultimately will help guide the allocation of state and federal resources to areas in need. “Accurate, comprehensive data is critical to our state’s efforts to bridge the digital divide across Kansas,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Thousands drawn to Florence
The population of Florence swelled more than tenfold this weekend as motorcycle riders and race enthusiasts — not to mention friends and supporters — crowded into town for the Flint Hills Bent Rims’ 2023 Florence Grand Prix. The 501 registered racers came from Kansas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Vermont, Arkansas, and other states to compete. Bud Lee, who placed third in 1972 and now lives in Wichita, was one of this year’s official starters, firing a shotgun to signal the beginning of each heat.
Source: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin
Half of Wichita’s splash pads are closed just as the season begins
From major road improvements to park upgrades, Shawnee’s next 10-year infrastructure plan, or capital improvement program list, lays out nearly $260 million in projects across the city over the next decade. Dozens of separate projects are on the list, and they will eventually be paid for from a variety of funding sources, including property tax and sales tax revenues, county funds and potentially support from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Overland Park hosting town halls about sales tax vote
The June 22 mail-in election seeks voter approval to raise the city’s dedicated sales tax from one-eighths cent to three-eighths cent. The extra tax revenue would go toward the city’s aging infrastructure. Most notably, city officials say funds raised by the tax would allow the city to reduce its reliance on chip seal, the controversial road resurfacing method.
Source: Prairie Village Post
REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs and Segregation – what’s next?
In 2022, the Johnson County Museum’s special exhibit “REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs and Segregation” took visitors on a deep dive into the history of redlining and how it both shaped and was shaped by Johnson County and the region. Visitors learned the history of systematic disinvestment of some neighborhoods and populations in favor of others, most often on the basis of race, and how the legacies of redlining policy continue to impact Kansas City and communities around the nation today.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Chingawassa Days to celebrate 25 years
Chingawassa Days is a 25-year, time-honored tradition in Marion and it is happening the first week of June. “Chinga started back in ’97 and was just an idea that someone wanted to do something for our community to bring the community together in a big way. And it just started, you know. I think they started with just like a picnic on Friday and they had a little local band and it’s kind of just a community gathering,” said committee chairman Clayton Garnica. He went on to say “Over the years, you add different community members on and it just sparked from there and has grown bigger and bigger. And basically, it is what it is today. Um, yeah. So ,it was just an idea really that someone, or a group, not necessarily one person just wanted to do something for the community to bring everybody together. And that’s, kind of just how it started.”
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
Reno County may sell gas generated from landfill
Reno County is asking for proposals from companies to utilize the landfill gas that is generated from the Reno County Landfill. County commissioners approved the plan on Tuesday, the Hutchinson news reported. The county hopes this will be a win-win situation, with the landfill complying with state and federal requirements, an end-user benefiting from the landfill gas and the county benefiting from the revenue in sales. A request for proposals is due Sept. 1.
Source: The Iola Register