What Lawrence’s ballot question on the city’s ‘form of government’ actually means

15 Tuesday, October 15

What Lawrence’s ballot question on the city’s ‘form of government’ actually means

info2024-10-15T12:32:32-05:00October 15th, 2024|

There’s a lot of confusion around the “form of government” ballot question that, if voters approve, could make the city commission into a four-district city council with a nonvoting, directly elected mayor, among other things. The question (as well as one asking to increase the sales tax to support affordable housing and homelessness initiatives) will be on city voters’ Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election ballots. Here’s the text of the question: “Shall the City of Lawrence, Kansas, abandon the Commission-Manager form of government and adopt a Modified Mayor-Council Manager form of government and become a city operating under a Modified Mayor-Council [...]

15 Tuesday, October 15

Mural is ‘beautiful,’ but not what the council requested

info2024-10-15T12:28:21-05:00October 15th, 2024|

The new Fairview mural, which is catching eyes at the U.S. Highways 36 and 75 crossroads, is “beautiful,” but not what was requested by the Fairview City Council. The artist, Christy Klein-Tross, is a Fairview native and started painting the mural at the beginning of September. However, as Klein-Tross continued painting, some Fairview City Council members started to realize that it wasn’t what they had exactly requested Klein-Tross to paint. While the bottom portion of the mural is the only thing that can be seen by those passing by, the top portion of the sign, which says “FAIRVIEW,” also has been [...]

15 Tuesday, October 15

Manhattan Parks and Rec mulls new cost recovery policy to generate more revenue

info2024-10-15T12:24:31-05:00October 15th, 2024|

Manhattan Parks and Recreation officials want to raise fees for some programs with a new cost recovery policy. Parks and rec director Aaron Stewart on Monday told KMAN the proposed policy aims to focus on total cost recovery instead of operational recovery, which is the basis of the current policy. Stewart said the new policy would reduce the percentage of taxes used for operations by generating more revenue. “We’re looking to approach the city commission with a fully vetted cost recovery, which includes all fees and services to be set administratively based on this policy,” he said. Parks and rec also [...]

15 Tuesday, October 15

Municipal Bond Trends for October 14, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-10-15T07:11:46-05:00October 15th, 2024|

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.

14 Monday, October 14

Municipal Bond Trends for October 11, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-10-14T09:31:43-05:00October 14th, 2024|

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.

11 Friday, October 11

Municipal Bond Trends for October 10, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-10-11T09:29:02-05:00October 11th, 2024|

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.

10 Thursday, October 10

Municipal Bond Trends for October 9, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-10-10T09:43:39-05:00October 10th, 2024|

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.

9 Wednesday, October 9

Douglas County to consider new pay plans that would boost county employee pay above area averages

info2024-10-09T12:31:24-05:00October 9th, 2024|

Douglas County government should create a new goal to pay its employees — everybody from custodians to administrators — well above the median wage of similar employees in the region, county commissioners will be told at their meeting on Wednesday. ... a human resources group, recommends that the county create a “compensation philosophy” that aims to pay county employees at a rate equal to the 70th percentile of wages for similar positions in the area. Source: LJWorld

9 Wednesday, October 9

Governor Kelly Announces Virtual, On-Demand Meeting as Part of Water Local Consult Outreach

info2024-10-09T09:59:54-05:00October 9th, 2024|

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that a virtual, on-demand meeting is now available for Kansans who want to provide input on water issues in the state. The virtual meeting is part of a second round of local consult meetings to gather input on strategies to implement the 2022 Kansas Water Plan. “These local consult meetings are critical to finding and implementing sustainable solutions to address our state’s water concerns,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By hearing directly from Kansans, we can make further progress on the goals of the 2022 Kansas Water Plan.” The recent in-person and new virtual meetings build on [...]

9 Wednesday, October 9

Increased prices contribute to continued housing shortage

info2024-10-09T09:58:09-05:00October 9th, 2024|

Real estate agent Natalie Moyer has helped Kansas residents purchase homes for the past 16 years. But the housing market is so tight right now, it’s been very difficult for first-time homebuyers to find a house within their budget. The demand for a home has been much higher in recent years and there simply are not enough homes to go around. That shortage of supply is pushing up the costs of homes on the market, making it even more difficult for buyers to purchase an affordable or middle-market home. The trickle-down effect of the tight market is believed to be contributing [...]