Municipal News & Jobs

On June 10, Allen County commissioners approved a resolution that allows for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The facilities store electrical energy in batteries for later use. The resolution was the product of months of research and deliberation by the county’s Planning and Zoning Board after the county received a request by Mission Clean Energy to build a $300 million battery storage system in Allen County. 
Source: The Iola Register

As Harvey County residents take on summer construction projects, it is handy to know there is most likely a need for a building permit. Across each community in Harvey County, there are varying ranges of cost for these permits, which allow construction to proceed. Without the proper permits, people are subject to fines.
Source: Harvey County Now

As governments and organizations across the metro consider how to best handle – and also attract – potentially hundreds of thousands of visitors during the 45 days the FIFA World Cup will be in Kansas City next summer, at least one Johnson County city is hoping that beer and live music could help draw people into its downtown.
Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

Just days after the Prairie Village City Council approved a proposal for a new municipal complex, one resident is suing the city to try to stop it. Marc Vianello filed a lawsuit in Johnson County District Court against Prairie Village — claiming that the municipal complex project violates a state law that requires cities to bring bond issues to a public vote.
Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

One of the key reasons for Clay Center’s revival is in your face: Murals here. Murals there. Murals seemingly everywhere. What began with one mural five years ago has mushroomed to more than 30 in this town of about 4,200 residents in northern Kansas. “It’s been really neat to see the town come together” because of the murals, says Brett Hubka, the president of Community Bank and head of A Mural Movement of Clay Center, which has spearheaded the explosion of art. “It looks better, and we hope that it’s even helped out our economy to a certain degree by bringing some visitors to town and touring the murals. It’s really rewarding to see that.”
Source: KLC Journal

A citizen-led committee, created after a Wichita city council member suggested starting a government efficiency group, says it has found up to $75 million in potential savings for the city. That’s nearly 10% of the city’s total budget last year. The group did not go into specifics about what those savings could be, but said it planned to present the potential cuts to the council this summer.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Amid calls for tax relief from property owners, the city of Wichita is considering reducing its mill levy by half a mill. It would be the first reduction in the city’s mill levy in nearly 40 years. The city says reducing the mill levy rate will be a $15-a-year reduction in property taxes for a $260,000 home, which they say is the average cost for a home in the area.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

It’s been Wichita’s sixth wettest June on record, and previously low water levels at Cheney Reservoir, which supplies the city’s water, are rising. Wichita has been under phase two of the city’s drought response plan since August 2024. The restrictions in place limit Wichita water customers to outdoor watering only once a week.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Pottawatomie County will move forward to de-annex rural residents from fire districts after learning some were unfairly being taxed twice for several years.
County government officials said Monday they discovered the mistake in March and sent letters to residents notifying them of the county’s intent to correct the issue. County commissioners on Monday approved a series of resolutions aimed at adjusting the fire district boundaries, which will also better align emergency response zones with 911 dispatch areas.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Attorneys representing the PBPN, a federally recognized Indian tribe that maintains a reservation, filed a civil suit in July 2024 seeking a declaration that Morse, in his official capacity, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office lack civil jurisdiction on the reservation, including jurisdiction to issue parking tickets and serve process.
Source: CJonline

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

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Friday that he doesn’t expect tariffs to boost inflation significantly so policymakers should be looking to lower interest rates as early as next month.
Source: Bonds

More than 10,000 homes and businesses in Wichita were without power as of 11:50 a.m. Wednesday after storms throughout the day Tuesday hit south-central Kansas, bringing hail up to 3 inches and wind gusts around 80 mph.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

The Flint Hills Trail runs from Osawatomie to Council Grove and offers views of riverside bluffs, woods, rolling farmland and tallgrass.
Source: CJonline

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.

More than 10,000 homes and businesses in Wichita were without power as of 11:50 a.m. Wednesday after storms throughout the day Tuesday hit south-central Kansas, bringing hail up to 3 inches and wind gusts around 80 mph.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Along with the rate decision, the committee indicated, through its closely watched “dot plot,” that two cuts by the end of 2025 are still on the table. However, it lopped off one cut for both 2026 and 2027, putting the expected future rate cuts at four, or a full percentage point.
Source: CNBC

Sometimes things can be interesting, and other times, things can be quiet on a weekend night in Hesston.
Source: Harvey County Now

The city of Wichita recently opened a request for proposals for visual artists interested in creating permanent outdoor sculptures for 14 existing pedestals located throughout Wichita’s central core districts of Old Town, Downtown and Delano.
Source: www.derbyinformer.com – RSS Results in news/area_news of type article

During its June 11 meeting, the Sedgwick County Commission took the first official steps on a project that will extend a pedestrian pathway from Derby to fully connect with Rose Hill.
Source: www.derbyinformer.com – RSS Results in news/area_news of type article

The Merriam City Council on Monday night discussed moving forward with a $120 million development project. The mixed-resident and retail development would be built at the site of the former Johnson County Library branch, just north of Shawnee Mission Parkway. The city council approved all 13 items presented during the special meeting, including planning and zoning the issuance of general obligation bonds and a community improvement district to help fund the Grand Market Place Development, which includes a new grocery store and apartment complex.
Source: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

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.

Kevin Frymire said his transition from the private to the public sector is going well so far. Frymire took over as Harvey County Administrator on May 27, moving from his longtime career as an assisted living administrator. The county began searching for a new administrator after Anthony Swartzendruber announced his resignation in December.
Source: Harvey County Now

Scott Boden has served as the Goessel High School Principal for 14 years, but starting next month, he will move into the position of USD 411 Superintendent. “Mr. Boden is in an excellent position to step in and just do an exemplary job. He knows the role of a district leader. He’s built a trust of the students and the staff and the community, and it’s going to be a very seamless transition,” said USD 411 Superintendent Mark Crawford.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

Lenexa is conducting a rare swap with a local home builder in which the city is getting land for a future city park while the developer gains acreage for a 175-home subdivision next door. Earlier this month, the Lenexa City Council approved the deal and preliminary plan for the property that will be used for the housing development.
Source: Johnson County Post

Edgerton is welcoming its first housing subdivision in several years to address growing affordable housing needs. Located on 80 acres near 207th Street and Edgerton Road, Dwyer Farms is a 275-home neighborhood that is just starting to come online as homes get sold. A sales agent with the mortgage company for the neighborhood said six homes were occupied as of last week.
Source: Johnson County Post