Kansas Senate says yes to state park in Iola

A proposal to create a new state park in Iola took another big step forward Thursday when Kansas senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of what would become Lehigh Portland State Park. The Senate’s passage means the bill goes back to the Kansas House of Representatives — perhaps as early as Thursday evening — for a final vote before the measure would go to Gov. Laura Kelly. The Senate’s bill differed slightly from a similar bill approved previously by the House in that it was combined with another bill granting free permanent hunting and fishing licenses to disabled veterans. Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, was among those who voted with the majority in the 35-5 tally.
Source: The Iola Register

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T12:16:32-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Kansas Legislature packages new flat tax rate with quicker end to food tax

Kansas lawmakers passed a tax cut package in the early Friday morning hours that fuses a flat tax rate for individual income with an accelerated reduction in the state sales tax on food, corporate tax breaks and residential property tax relief. The policies assembled into Senate Bill 169 add up to $1.3 billion in decreased state tax collections over the next three years, with more than half of the cost associated with the flat tax. The bill eliminates the sales tax on food at the start of next year. “To me, it’s always a priority to get it back to taxpayers instead of growing government, and that’s that this bill does, and it does it very nicely,” said Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who chairs the Senate tax committee. “It considers everybody, from low income tax to everybody.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T12:16:54-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Progress continues on Justice Center in Great Bend

The City of Great Bend’s new Justice Center slated for completion in August and the long-standing Expo I and II buildings that were just transferred to city ownership by the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce are on the forefront for city officials. As for the Justice Center at 12th and Baker, it is starting to take shape, both inside and out, Interim City Administrator Logan Burns said. The brickwork around the entrance area is underway and window installation will start Monday.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T12:17:42-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Property taxes climb 3.6% across U.S. to $339.8 billion

Property taxes levied on single-family homes in the United States increased 3.6% to $339.8 billion in 2022, according to a new report from a real estate data firm. That’s up from $328 billion in 2021. The 2022 increase was more than double the 1.6% growth in 2021, but smaller than the 5.4% increase in 2020, according to the report from ATTOM, a property data provider. The report also shows that the average tax on single-family homes in the U.S. increased 3% in 2022, to $3,901, after rising 1.8% in 2021. The latest average tax resulted in an effective tax rate nationwide of 0.83%. That was down slightly from 0.86% in 2021 to the lowest point since at least 2016.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T09:55:38-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

With the Ogallala Aquifer drying up, Kansas considers limits to crop irrigation

The Ogallala Aquifer has a visibility problem. It’s easy to see when drought, farm irrigation and city taps drain the great reservoirs of the Southwest. Bathtub rings paint the red rock walls surrounding Lake Powell as it shrinks, sounding alarm bells loud and clear. What about a body of water that’s locked away in a subterranean labyrinth of gravel and rock reaching more than 300 feet underground? The Ogallala may hold as much water as Lake Huron, but we can’t see it. And, problematically, that means we can’t see it disappear.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T09:53:47-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Leawood proposes using federal funds to build pickleball courts

Leawood is considering whether to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to pay for more pickleball courts for public use. The Leawood City Council in a Monday work session reviewed multiple city projects — including installation of new pickleball courts — for which the city wants to pay with funds earmarked for its use from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T09:52:33-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Prairie Village is 2nd JoCo city to adopt antisemitism measure

Prairie Village is now the second Johnson County city to adopt a resolution formally defining antisemitism in response to an ongoing uptick in reported instances of antisemitic hate both nationally and around the Kansas City region. Leawood is the only other Johnson County city currently with such a resolution on the books, which uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism as a means for guiding public response to any potential acts of hate.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T09:51:31-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Meet Doug Gerber, Shawnee’s new city manager

Doug Gerber, a long-time municipal government administrator with Kansas roots, is Shawnee’s new city manager. Gerber, whose hiring was approved in February by an unanimous city council vote, was formally sworn in last week. His path to becoming a city manager wasn’t always a clear one. As a junior at Kansas State University, he was a chemistry major. Each day, he went to labs, and Gerber found he actually hated it. On a whim, he decided to take an introduction to public administration course, discovering a new path.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T09:50:17-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Prairie Village adds money to property tax rebate program

A few more Prairie Village residents could get some relief on their city property taxes. The Prairie Village City Council last week approved adding $5,000 more to its property tax rebate program fund, bringing the 2023 funding total to just over $30,000. The program, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to ease the burden on the most cash-strapped property owners, reimburses eligible residents for 100% of the Prairie Village portion of their annual property tax bill.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2023-04-10T09:48:30-05:00April 10, 2023|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for April 6, 2023

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.

Henry Schmidt2023-04-07T07:36:16-05:00April 7, 2023|News|