Category: Featured
Johnson County projects property tax increase far above inflation
Johnson County released 5-year budget projections for the county, and the county is projecting annual property tax increases that are…
After move from spring to fall, local election voter turnout is mixed bag
A 2015 law designed to increase voter turnout may not be having the intended results. When lawmakers moved local elections…
USD 259: enrollment down, payroll jumps 6%, over 100 non-classroom positions added
Fearful that school districts wouldn’t allocate enough money to classrooms, legislators tried to add accountability measures to the school funding…
McClatchy seeks IRS waiver to reduce pension payments
McClatchy, the newspaper conglomerate that owns the Kansas City Star and the Wichita Eagle, posted a devastating second-quarter earnings report…
State lawmakers unlikely to take up gun control measures
In the wake of mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says it’s time to enact…
Tonganoxie residents ponder school bond project costing $94 million
Tonganoxie residents vote in early September on a bond project that’s being advertised as costing $51 million, but the total…
School funding facts fudged in USD 497 Lawrence
The USD 497 Lawrence school district is dramatically under-reporting budget numbers to the public, it appears, and the local paper…
Sedgwick county budget predicts large increase in property tax, personnel costs
With inflation holding steady below 2% annually, Sedgwick County’s proposed 2020 budget predicts an 18% property tax increase over the next…
Gov. Kelly orders tax increase on remote sellers
For the third time in a matter of weeks, Gov. Laura Kelly has attempted to usurp the authority of the…
Johnson County execs ‘puzzled’ about sales tax decline, but keep spending more
Sales tax revenues are down, and Johnson County officials are waiting for the courts to determine the fate of several…
Newton school bond: understated costs, unanswered questions
A recent public meeting about the proposed Newton school bond issue left residents with several unanswered questions, including how student…
KASB lays groundwork for more school funding
The Kansas Association of School Board’s advocacy director Mark Tallman is laying the groundwork for seeking more school funding from…
Record 18 legislators score above 90% on 2019 Kansas Freedom Index
Eighteen Kansas House and Senate members scored better than 90% on the 2019 Kansas Freedom Index, besting the previous high of…
Kansas senator calls for change in judicial selection
Prompted by the announced retirement of two Kansas Supreme Court justices, Senator Ty Masterson is calling for a change in…
Listening tour pushes government solutions to Anderson County challenges
GARNETT, Kan. — Suggestions of more government spending topped the menu at a rural prosperity listening tour stop hosted by…
City council members refuse to answer questions on $75 million Wichita baseball stadium
Following news of a professional baseball team failing in Kansas City, Kansas and owing at least $550,000 to local government,…
Wichita is budgeting a $5.5 million property tax increase
The City of Wichita presented the 2020 city budget to City Council on Tuesday but didn’t mention that the budget…
Kansas foster care challenges complicated by politics
The International Foster Care Organization defines foster care as “… a way of providing a family life for children who…
Kansas new business decreases as nation grows
Kansas is the only state in the country with negative new business growth since President Trump took office, according to…
T-Bones baseball team for sale, owes at least $550,000 to local government
One week ago the owner of the Kansas City T-Bones baseball team, Adam Elhert, announced he would sell the team…
Cost of Emporia school bond proposal is understated
The Emporia school bond proposal being pushed by USD 253 is said to cost just $78 million and district officials…
Hutchinson city manager proposes property tax increase
Property tax collections in Hutchinson jumped 112% between 1997 and 2018 – more than twice the combined rates of inflation…
Onerous processes to sever union membership remain 1 year after ‘Janus’ decision
In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, many public union members may still find…
Wichita approves $100,000 for Century II study
The Wichita City Council in a 7-0 vote today approved spending $100,000 on a study called the Riverfront Legacy Master…