×
×
homepage logo

Tonganoxie City Council meets to hire city manager

By Shawn Linenberger - | Jan 24, 2017

Tonganoxie is expected to have a decision on a new city manager this week.

The Tonganoxie City Council held a special meeting Tuesday to approve an employment agreement for a new city manager.

The meeting took place after The Mirror’s print deadline, but you can learn more by visiting The Mirror online at tonganoxiemirror.com.

City, library hosting info meetings

The city of Tonganoxie and Tonganoxie Public Library are having informational meetings about the proposed 3/4 cent sales tax replacement mail-in ballot question.

The meetings will be 6 p.m. today in Council Chambers, 321 Delaware and 6 p.m. Feb. 7, also in Council Chambers.

Ballots will be sent out Feb. 8 to eligible Tonganoxie voters. Ballots must be returned to the Leavenworth County Courthouse by Feb. 28.

County Clerk Janet Klasinski said the county currently will be mailing out 2,885 ballots to active voters. Klasinski estimates that the election will cost Tonganoxie about $9,500.

Tonganoxie’s current 3/4-cent sales tax was approved in 2007 to help pay for Tonganoxie Water Park.

This sales tax will expire on Sept. 30, 2017, as the water park debt will be paid in full.

The proposed replacement 3/4-cent sales tax would last 20 years if passed (Oct. 1, 2017-Sept. 30, 2037).

The ballot question earmarks the tax going toward construction of new capital improvements, maintaining new and current infrastructure, funding debt-issued for capital improvements and the construction of a new or expanded library. The tax would be in addition to a 1 percent citywide retailers’ sales tax already levied within the city.

Revenue from the 20-year replacement sales tax is estimated at $7.2 million.

Library representatives are projecting a new library would at most cost $3.6 million.

Library officials have been searching for potential sites for a new library. There was discussion of a new library being built at Third and Main streets, but the latest potential site would be on the southwest corner of the former Tonganoxie Elementary School property. A group of Tonganoxie residents are looking to purchase the property.

Advance ballot deadline is Friday

Here are some notable reminders about the election from the Leavenworth County Election Office:

• All active registered voters will be mailed a ballot to the address on your voter registration record.

• There is no reason to complete the advance ballot application unless you will be gone out of town and need the ballot mailed to a different address. In that case, you would complete the advance ballot application.

• Friday is the last day to apply for advance ballots.

• Feb. 7 is the last day if you need to update your address. In that scenario, a resident must fill out a new Kansas voter registration application and submit it to the Leavenworth County Election Office no later than Feb. 7.

• Feb. 24 is the last day to mail replacement ballots.

• Noon Feb. 28 is the mail-in ballot deadline. Ballots must be returned by noon that day to be counted.

• County Commission members will canvass votes March 6.

• Deadline to request recount of election is 5 p.m. March 10.