Municipal News & Jobs

As Emporia and Lyon County continue to manage manufacturing losses and uncertainty surrounding local economic development leadership, Kansas Lt. Gov. and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said Monday that Emporia is uniquely positioned to attract new industry. “There’s a lot of expansions happening at the moment in different sectors, and so we think Emporia is well aligned to be able to get some meaningful wins,” he said. Toland visited the Trusler Business Center on Monday, bringing key state officials to meet with representatives from the city of Emporia, Lyon County and the RDA, as well as Rep. Mark Schreiber and Sen. Mike Argabright. Toland said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss potential economic development opportunities and identify assets the state could use when discussing sites for potential business additions and expansions.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

The City of Lenexa unveiled its long-in-the-works plans for three World Cup watch parties that will be held at Lenexa City Center. On Tuesday at the Lenexa City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Mike Nolan detailed three watch parties that will take place in Lenexa City Center, as well as the amenities and activities it will feature. The watch parties were planned to avoid clashing watch parties with Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park. The plans were part of two World Cup-related agenda items that the Lenexa City Council unanimously approved, 8-0, including approval of a special event permit for the three watch parties and a resolution authorizing the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol during the events.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Sen. Jerry Moran recently joined other lawmakers in introducing legislation to extend the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration program for another five years. The proposed Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Reauthorization Act would continue support for rural hospitals by allowing them to test alternative Medicare payment models designed to improve financial stability and maintain healthcare access in rural communities. Two Kansas hospitals currently participate in the program: Stormont Vail Health Flint Hills Campus in Junction City and McPherson Hospital in McPherson. Sen. Moran has supported the program since it began in 2004 and has repeatedly backed efforts to renew it during his time in Congress.
Read more: KCLY Radio

More than 150 years after its founding, Neodesha has transformed from an oil-dependent town into a thriving community that offers new opportunities for families through economic diversification and educational support.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Fort Scott Area Home Developers met on Thursday to discuss the city’s needs and plans. The city says a 2025 study proved Fort Scott faces a housing shortage. The city expects several hundred more jobs to come to Fort Scott over the next year, making the need for housing even more acute.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Voters may get to decide whether to redirect a city sales tax toward public safety after the City Commission discusses the topic at its meeting Monday. The city for 20 years has charged a 0.5% sales tax to pay off debt from building the Community Center and pool. That debt will be paid off this year, but the city is considering asking voters to continue the tax to support public safety equipment and infrastructure. The required citywide vote for the sales tax would be in November. 
Read more: The Eudora Times

The Reno County Commission will hold a public hearing and consider establishing a sales tax and revenue (STAR) bond district for the Salt Lick Golf & Hunting Resort under development east of Hutchinson during its regular meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13. Developers of the resort are seeking STAR bonds to finance about $26 million of the project, approximately one-third of the total planned cost, commissioners heard in a special meeting on Thursday, May 7. The bonds would be repaid using sales tax revenue from the district, which would exclusively consist of the resort.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

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 City of Kingman, in partnership with MakeMyMove.com and through a state grant program announced in October, is now offering financial incentives to bring in new residents, remote workers and skilled professionals.
Read more: KSN-TV

Staff recommended data center and crypto currency mining facilities be allowed in industrial-zoned areas and battery storage in districts where other utility-scale uses are allowed, if they also receive a conditional use permit from the County Commission. However, commissioners raised concerns about the demands on local infrastructure and whether it was enough to even sustain a data center or crypto mine.
Read more: LJWorld

Craig Owens has spent his whole career looking for challenges – from blue-collar factory communities to suburbs to a densely packed city in Missouri with nearly 50 high-rises.
Read more: LJWorld

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.

With a mill levy of 121.799, Hays has a significantly lower property tax compared to four peer communities (Dodge City, Garden City, Emporia and Pittsburg.) That’s no coincidence says Grow Hays Executive Director Doug Williams because the City’s “pull factor” is consistently one of the best in the state. “More people spending money within the city limits from outside of Hays benefits everyone because of the City of Hays use of sales tax funding for operations and their general fund.
Read more: Hays Daily News

Arkansas City Senior Genevieve Herrera is receiving first-hand experience on how the court system works. For the past six months, she has served as an intern with District Judge Christopher Smith at the court facilities in Arkansas City and Winfield. The ACHS intern program allows students to work with local employers to experience careers that match their studies or interests. Students have the opportunity to explore a wide range of career paths.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

A raucous crowd of around 150 people gathered Wednesday to get answers from officials looking to build a data center in Pottawatomie County. Ryan Sanders and Charles Kontz, principals of Beltline Energy, spoke at a meeting at Iron Clad in Wamego. Beltline is based in Atlanta. The meeting originally had been set as a private event in Manhattan, but the invitation was widely shared on social media, so it became a public event and moved to Wamego.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

After enacting a six-month moratorium on data center projects last month, the Riley County Commission on Monday began considering the next steps of the conversation. Planning director Amanda Webb spoke to commissioners about possibilities of the information they could seek during the moratorium period. The temporary restriction also includes battery energy storage system projects, but data centers were the focus of Monday’s conversation.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

As economic uncertainty continues to ripple through manufacturing communities across the country, Emporia leaders say they remain focused on attracting new opportunities, even as the Flint Hills Economic Alliance remains in a developmental phase and Michelin announces the layoff of approximately 100 workers. The Flint Hills Economic Alliance, or FHEA, was first unveiled in late February as a proposed restructuring of local economic development efforts. The concept aimed to combine several community organizations under one umbrella in an effort to streamline recruitment, tourism and business development efforts.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

Standing room only during a city council meeting in Gardner Monday night. In nearly two hours of public comment, dozens of people stood up to object to a proposed hyperscale data center. The 3.1 billon dollar project would include up to 16 data halls across multiple buildings on the 300-acre site. Beale claims it will be one of Johnson County’s largest tax revenue generators, and employ hundreds of contractors, trade positions and 50 full time on-site positions.
Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

Great Bend could consider a permanent 0.75-cent sales tax, potentially raising the total local tax rate to 9.45% if voters approve it in November. The discussion surfaced at a City Council work session after the Monday meeting, though no formal action was taken.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune

Residents of Sylvan Grove and surrounding communities are invited to take part in a once-in-a-generation celebration as the town marks its 150th anniversary on Saturday, May 23. Centered around the theme “Rooted in Our History … Reaching to Our Future,” the event promises a full day of activities honoring the town’s rich past while celebrating the spirit of its future.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune