News

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

After educating constituents about the mill levy, the appraisal process and the need for additional funding to help provide services, Seward County leaders turned their attention to that of road conditions in the county at the recent town hall meeting in Kismet, and much of that conversation concerned a question local residents will be answering this November.

“There will be a question on the ballot, and that question will be regarding whether or not the community of Seward County is in favor or not in favor of a half-cent sales tax that would be imposed to just Road and Bridge,” Administrator April Warden said.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

September is just around the corner, which means it will soon be time for the annual Duck Race Festival.

This year's Duck Race Festival will be Saturday, Sept. 27 at Light Park, with everything beginning at 10 a.m. and the duck race itself starting at 2 p.m., with the day ending at around 2:30 p.m. Ducks are available for adoption at the Chamber of Commerce office and any business with a 'Ducks Sold Here' sign, and like every year, people can adopt individual ducks for $10 each, or they can adopt a 6-Quack for $50 or a Lucky Pack of 13 ducks for $100. The total prize money will be $10,000 (1st place = $5,000; 2nd place = $2,000; 3rd place = $1,000; 4th place = $500; 5th place = $400; 6th place = $300; 7th place = $200; 8th place = $100; and Lucky Duck = $500). Like every year, Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and board members will all have ducks for adoption, so people can get in touch with them if they are interested in having ducks in the race, and ducks will also be available for adoption the day of the event until about 1 p.m.

EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

Caryn Tyson is considered a champion in the Kansas Senate for helping keep taxes low, and the recent proposal from Seward County was made public because Tyson helped create the Revenue Neutral Rate notices that were recently received by property owners.

Tyson chairs the Senate Tax Committee and has been pushing for a constitutional amendment to limit how much local units of government can increase the valuation of property.

Tyson attended a meeting on the constitutional amendment in Paola, and she said more than 250 people showed up.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Finances were a hot topic for the Liberal City Commission at its most recent meeting Tuesday evening.

One of those finance-related items concerned the Revenue Neutral Rate on the City of Liberal side.