Municipal News & Jobs

The City of Emporia has released its 2026 Annual Budget Book, a new resource aiming to help its citizens better understand the annual budget. The 86-page document defines several key terms involved in the budgeting process, explains the calculations used to determine property tax liabilities, details each fund included in the budget, and lists the major changes that contributed to the allocations made. The resource also highlights planned city projects for 2026.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

The Wichita City Council on Tuesday decided to move forward with a possible special election on a 1-cent sales tax. Council members voted 7-0 to pass an ordinance that would put the question on the ballot. But that was just the first reading; the council will need to vote again next week. During the meeting, dozens of residents spoke in favor of and against the sales tax vote.
Read more: KSN-TV

The Kansas Board of Education has a big wish list for the state legislature. However, the board believes one recommendation deserves some extra attention. During the Kansas Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9 board members came up with their annual list of legislative priorities. This is a list of education policies the board would like to see the legislature address during the upcoming session. Lawmakers typically refer to this list while drafting bills related to education. This year, the board has several key recommendations, one of which has to do with bus rider safety.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The Arkansas City Commission has approved changes to zoning regulations that will allow some homeowners to build front-yard carports under specific conditions. The amendments were adopted Dec. 2 and come in response to the severe June hailstorm, which left many residents looking for permitted options to protect their vehicles. Principal Planner Josh White told commissioners that several neighborhoods without rear-alley access had limited options under the previous rules. The new standards create a narrow exception for single-family and two-family homes on those lots.
Read more: Cowley Post

The Kansas man who made national news after being charged with voting illegally, resigned his position as mayor of Coldwater. The Coldwater City Council announced Monday that it had accepted the resignation. “We will continue with the daily work of the city ensuring that all services and operations move forward without interruption,” a city statement said. “Our priority is keeping the community informed and maintaining stability during this transition.”
Read more at: Wichita Eagle

A Shawnee County judge on Tuesday upheld an attorney general’s opinion saying that Johnson County exceeded its authority to ask voters to renew a public safety sales tax to fund mental health and emergency medical services.
Read more: Sunflower State Journal

Boeing completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, marking a significant return to Wichita. Local leaders share their reactions to the deal. Business and government leaders across Kansas are explaining why they believe Boeing’s decision to bring Spirit AeroSystems back under its wing positions Wichita for decades of continued aerospace innovation and growth.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal

Residents in Leawood held a community forum in opposition to the Royals’ potential move. Many feel a stadium going up nearby would completely disrupt the way of life in so many ways: heavy traffic, safety, economic losses for businesses, and hurting access to hospitals nearby.
Read more: KMBC

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.

Street congestion is not something that is discussed much in Crawford County, but the issue was a topic of conversation at Monday’s Arma City Council meeting. At that meeting, councilmembers shared their concerns about parking on a particular block in the city that is causing potential issues.
Read more: -Morning Sun

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating vandalism to a water tower near Olsburg. Deputies were called out Wednesday morning to the area of Swede Road and Shannon Creek Road where it was discovered a tower serving Rural Water District No. 2 had sustained numerous bullet impacts. Sheriff Doug Adams says it does not appear the damage was recent, but also appears to be intentional. He estimated the damage likely occurred sometime between mid-August and late November.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

The Barton County Commission came short of approving an outright ban on commercial wind turbines in Barton County, but resolutions approved Tuesday make them virtually impossible. Meanwhile, large and small non-commercial wind projects will still be allowed.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune

The Harvey County Emergency Management (EM) department celebrated its 30th anniversary last Wednesday with a small gathering at the courthouse. In attendance were Carol Buller, widow of the first EM director, Lon Buller, former director Gary Denny, and current director Mike Anderson.
Read more: Harvey County Now

The same day that the Prairie Village City Council moved forward with financing for its $30 million municipal complex project, a city resident appealed a federal court’s Nov. 3 decision to dismiss his lawsuit trying to stop the project. On Monday, the city council voted 11-0 to approve three items that pushed the public financing for its $30 million municipal complex project forward, including issuing bonds. That same day, Fritz Edmunds, the attorney representing Prairie Village resident Marc Vianello, filed a notice of appeal in federal court regarding that court’s decision last month to dismiss the lawsuit for lack of standing. Edmunds did not respond to the Post’s request for comment for this story. Vianello filed the federal lawsuit in mid-July, seeking to block the city from taking out debt for the project without first bringing it to a public vote.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Large trucks are now prohibited from driving in an unincorporated neighborhood just outside Spring Hill in southern Johnson County. The Board of County Commissioners deemed the roads in the Spring Hill Station subdivision, just east of Kansas Highway 7 along 199th Street, too narrow and unsafe for large trucks, including semi-trucks. Commissioners approved the measure 6-0 on Nov. 6. Commissioner Shirley Allenbrand was absent.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The city of Prairie Village is considering banning all monkey species — with one potential exception. After two discussions in the last month about an outright monkey ban, the Prairie Village City Council on Dec. 1 signaled interest in making an exception for one spider monkey, Oakley, who currently lives in the city with her owner, Toni Skelton. Skelton told the Shawnee Mission East Harbinger earlier this year that she first obtained Oakley in September 2024. City staff confirmed to the Post that Skelton got Oakley licensed through the city in April 2025. The proposed monkey ban is coming back before the city council for a third discussion at a future meeting. This time, the ban will appear with an option for a conditional license that would allow Oakley to legally remain in Prairie Village, even with a monkey ban in place. Currently, Prairie Village’s animal code allows monkey species whose adult weight is 20 pounds or less. (Oakley weighs 2 pounds, according to the Harbinger report.) The proposed updated language bans all monkey species, no matter the adult weight. This language mirrors animal codes in a majority of neighboring cities, with exceptions like the city of Shawnee that allow small monkeys with a special use permit for pet shops.
Read more: Johnson County Post

An Overland Park animal control officer sprung into action Wednesday after a caller reported an unusual situation in their backyard. When officers arrived, they found a red-tailed hawk with unknown injuries. According to a police spokesman, Officer Jillian Sundberg was able to safely contain the hawk and transport it to Operation Wildlife for further care. Operation Wildlife, located in Linwood, Kansas, provides rehabilitation and veterinary services to injured and orphaned wild animals in the Kansas City metro and surrounding area. Overland Park police was notified Thursday that, after receiving some treatment, the hawk died from complications of avian influenza.
Read more: Kansas City Star

A year after residents filed a petition to halt construction of the Hope Ridge Wind Farm, a Fifth District judge has upheld the Dickinson County Commission’s 2–1 decision allowing the project to move forward. Ten plaintiffs sued the County Commission in December, claiming the Conditional Use Permit approved for the wind farm was “unreasonable and unlawful.” Their suit alleged the application did not meet zoning requirements, lacked agreements from all affected landowners, and that the County mishandled an Oct. 31 protest petition by miscalculating the percentage of property needed to validate it. In his ruling, Judge Lee Fowler found no errors that warranted reversing or remanding the decision. He wrote that the process was transparent, opponents had the opportunity to speak, and the Commission’s decision was reasonable and supported by the record.
Read more: KCLY Radio