Municipal News & Jobs

On Tuesday, August 12, an unmanned aircraft departed Kelly Hills UAS Airfield in Seneca carrying an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and landed 30 minutes later at Charles E. Grutzmacher Municipal Airport in Onaga. According to a release, the flight demonstrated how advanced drone technology can help bridge healthcare gaps for rural communities.
Read more: KMZA

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.

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday voted 4-1 to increase the special tax that applies to hotel stays in hopes of better preparing for and capitalizing on an influx of World Cup visitors. The World Cup is expected to bring thousands of international fans and millions of dollars to the Kansas City area next summer. Six matches including a quarterfinal match will be played between June 16 and July 11, 2026 at Arrowhead Stadium. For each game, officials estimate the impact to the area will be similar to what a Super Bowl would be, and the effects will ripple far beyond Kansas City. The transient guest tax is a special sales tax that applies to stays in hotels and short-term rentals. Increasing the rate to 8% from 6% could bring in approximately $940,000 in increased revenue in 2026, according to the city.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

A data center campus soon could take root in De Soto across the street from Panasonic’s $4 billion EV-battery plant. Mount Sunflower Properties LLC, managed by Beale Infrastructure, is under contract with PBР Logistics LLC, a Flint Development Group entity, to buy land in Flint Commerce Center at 103rd Street and Edgerton Road to develop a data center campus.
Read more: Kansas City Business Journal – Local Kansas City News

Nearly two months since passing the ordinance, councilman Robert “Bob” Lauck expressed his concern Monday night regarding the city’s procedure for overgrown lawns. Around mid-June, the city amended its ordinance dealing with tall grass when it becomes a public nuisance, growing over six inches. Initially, the ordinance noted the steps taken if the city has to step in to mow an overgrown lawn. However, the ordinance did not list a penalty amount.
Read more: – Latest Stories

Federal Reserve officials worried at their July meeting about the state of the labor market and inflation, though most agreed that it was too soon to lower interest rates, minutes released Wednesday showed. The meeting summary depicted divergence of opinion among the central bankers, whose vote to hold their key rate steady came despite objections from two Fed governors who argued in favor of cutting. Policymakers noted rising threats to the economy that would warrant monitoring, though they largely agreed that their current stance was the appropriate way to go.
Read more: Finance

Following a failed bond issue this past spring, ahead of the new school year the USD 263 Board of Education took action to bring the item back before voters in the November general election — this time with a few tweaks. As part of the special election in April 2025, voters in the Mulvane school district soundly (60%) voted against a $9 million bond issue for a new early childhood education center. A $50 million bond issue for safety and security enhancements at all district buildings was more narrowly defeated, with 52% of voters against it.
Read more: www.derbyinformer.com – RSS Results in news/area_news of type article

They fly quietly at night, scouring the countryside for insects on which to feed, surrounded by an aura of mystique and possibly fear. They cannot see very well, if at all, and are marvels of the natural world for using echolocation to navigate. They are the bats of Kansas.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Rural neighbors of a massive warehouse project near 199th Street and Gardner Road have lost a court case that sought to declare the city of Edgerton’s 2020 annexation of more than 600 acres near their homes illegal under Kansas’ “narrow corridor” law. Johnson County District Court Judge David Hauber issued a ruling Wednesday in favor of the city of Edgerton, delivering a disappointment to neighbors who have been fighting the NorthPoint warehouse development for five and a half years.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Republic County Commissioners voted unanimously to place a ballot measure before voters on November 4th, asking approval of up to $17.86 million in revenue bonds for a new Public Safety Building. The measure will give residents a straightforward choice: “yes” or “no.” While county leaders have yet to disclose the exact location or full funding plan for the proposed jail facility, officials had initially suggested more details might be available this week. The ballot question references a charter resolution authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds to finance the construction and equipping of a county public safety and law enforcement facility.
Read more: KCLY Radio

The USD 379 school board is nearing a request for public feedback on an upcoming tax-neutral bond issue. The current six-mill bond levy is scheduled to expire in September of 2026. USD 379 will hold a bond election in March of 2026 to ask voters to renew the tax-neutral six mill bond levy, and they are considering two options: a deferred maintenance-only bond or a consolidation bond. Due to the significant decline in enrollment and its projected continuation, the district is investigating ways to reduce its footprint through the consolidation of buildings in Clay Center. 
Read more: KCLY Radio

Voters in Prairie Village, Kansas, will be faced with an unusual question on their ballots in about three months: Shall the city abandon the mayor-council form of government? We’ll hear about how a fight over zoning and housing wound up in a legal battle over the city government’s structure itself. Even if voters agree to “abandon” the current structure this November, though, there’s no plan for replacing it with a different model.
Read more: News

Erica Schlender reveres this ground, homesteaded by her great-great-grandfather, where he put down roots that continue to anchor her.  She thinks of the effort that each generation of her family poured into this soil near Moundridge, raising crops and children and tending it not just for the moment but for the future. And she thinks about the house she wants to build here and the children she wants to raise here, while continuing the farm for generations. Schlender is reflective of a trend that emerged in the most recent Census of Agriculture in Kansas: a growing number of young farmers and women in agriculture. There were more than 34,000 female producers in Kansas in 2022, up nearly 2,000 over 2017.
Read more: KLC Journal

Erie Market in Erie, Kansas will close by August’s end when River Grocery LLC’s lease expires, leaving residents without local grocery access.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

The Parsons Police Department and the Labette Community College Foundation have partnered to establish the Parsons Police Legacy in Leadership Scholarship, an endowment that will help local students pursue careers in law enforcement, criminal justice, or civic leadership.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Firefighters traded their gear for purrs and whiskers Monday as they teamed up with Pawsprints of the Heartland to help promote cat adoptions. Instead of responding to a fire call, members of the fire department posed with adult cats in need of homes.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Finney County has hired Derek Ramos as its next county administrator after a nationwide search. Ramos is currently the assistant city manager in Garden City and has more than 17 years of experience in government, education, construction management, and financial advising. He also served nearly a decade as dean of facilities management at Garden City Community College.
Read more: KSN-TV

Wichita Park & Recreation is finding creative ways to conserve water during ongoing drought conditions. This week, the department announced that its Aquatics, Park Maintenance, and Golf divisions are teaming up to reuse water from Aley and McAfee Pools. Instead of sending the water down the drain, the Park Maintenance team is pumping it out and transporting it to ponds at MacDonald Golf Course.
Read more: KSN-TV

Voters will decide this fall whether to approve nearly $28 million in school improvements that would bring all Oakley students under one roof. The $27,995,000 proposal would expand the high school into a single PreK–12 campus and demolish the district’s elementary and middle schools. Julie Crum, USD 274 Superintendent, said the work is badly needed.
Read more: KSN-TV

An opening date has been set for the new gambling and entertainment center that will occupy the former Wichita Greyhound Park. The property, initially known as the Golden Circle historic horse racing facility, is now being called Gilley’s and is scheduled to open on Dec. 15. Developed by Wichita businessman Phil Ruffin, the facility will feature approximately 1,000 historic horse racing machines.
Read more: KSN-TV