David Hicks

1 week ago | sentinelksmo.org | David Hicks

At the urging of Miami County Attorney Kenton Harding, the Louisburg USD 416 School Board tabled its approval a week earlier of a 10-year, $4.8 million Lease-Purchase Agreement for the construction of a high school baseball/softball complex over concerns that their action violated state law. At its May 12 meeting, the Louisburg board approved the lease-purchase agreement on a 6-1 vote, with only Board Member Pat Apple dissenting. Discussion of the agreement begins here at the 36:20 mark.

1 week ago | sentinelksmo.org | David Hicks

Overland Park-based Black & Veatch is asking the City of Overland Park for about $250 million in subsidies to help finance an ambitious $1.1 billion development at its Lamar Avenue campus. The engineering and construction firm plans a new 612,000 square foot headquarters, total office space of nearly one million square feet,1,884 residential units in a multi-family, townhomes, and condominiums mix, 5,500 square feet of retail space, a 160-room hotel, and nearly 6,000 structured parking spaces.

2 weeks ago | sentinelksmo.org | David Hicks

The fallout continues across Kansas after state lawmakers failed to pass legislation limiting property tax increases. Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, are our latest examples of property tax increases funding eye-popping salaries and pay raises for government employees, some of which may result from additional overtime, payouts of unused sick or vacation leave, or working a partial year in 2023.

2 weeks ago | sentinelksmo.org | David Hicks

Superintendents Dr. Tonya Merrigan of Blue Valley, Dr. Brent Yeager of Olathe, and Dr. Michael Schumacher of Shawnee Mission have sent a joint letter in opposition to the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). Their own behaviors, however, refute the claims they make. The measure, currently in the Ways and Means Committee in the U.S. House, proposes $5 billion in tax credits to fund scholarships for eligible students to attend the school of their choice.

3 weeks ago | sentinelksmo.org | David Hicks

The failure of the Kansas Legislature to deliver property tax relief this year after promising voters it was its “#1 priority” at the dawn of the 2025 session has saddled taxpayers with another year of increased property valuations and local government coffers overflowing with revenue.