“Data centers threaten public health with their excessive air, water, light and noise pollution.” “Major construction projects bring a significant increase in heavy truck traffic.” “If Kansas is in fact the rarest of jewels for these trillion-dollar tech companies, why are we the ones bending over backwards to accommodate them?” Those were a few of the comments made by more than 60 concerned speakers at a packed Sedgwick County town hall this month with mounting questions over the evolving data center industry that has made its way to Wichita. The Kansas Legislature rolled out the red carpet last year to attract large data centers — which house critical IT infrastructure for technology like streaming and smartphones — with an incentives package offering 20-year sales tax exemptions for construction, equipment, site costs, and labor services for data center projects.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal

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.

County Appraiser Zack Edwards met with county commissioners during Tuesday morning’s regular meeting to discuss the appraisal process and current data on property values in the county. According to Edwards, as of January 1, current 2026 property values countywide are up by an average of 5 percent. Residential properties, according to the 2026 market study posted on the county website, states, “the overall 2025 residential real estate market was upward trending, several residential values may reflect an increase of approximately four to seven percent from the previous year” while commercial properties “may reflect an increase of approximately two to seven percent.” Vacant lots and agricultural land values stayed relatively steady, with a slight one percent increase in grasslands. The study also stated that, “Values on specific properties may change more due to alterations in the property itself, correction of descriptive information, recent sale of the property, or adjustment based on sales of similar properties.”
Read more: – Morning Sun