New MHS Field; City 2025 Budget; School Board Approves 9.75% Salary Increase for Teachers; Voter Turnout Drops Significantly; Home Sales Up
Ad Astra Podcast
Week of August 27 2024
Good morning citizens of McPherson. This is the McPherson Citizen Journal, daily brief for the week of August 27, 2024 AD. I'm here to bring you the latest headlines. Let's dive into today's top stories. Today in McPherson News, we're tracking the new MHS field, the city's 2025 budget, the school board's 9.75% salary increase for teachers, how voter turnout drops significantly in the primary and home sales are up. 1. New field opens at McPherson High School. Friday evening was a momentous occasion for McPherson High School as they officially opened their new outdoor athletic facility. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which drew in the community, was followed by a pep rally to kick off the fall sports season. The facility, funded by the successful fund the field campaign, features a state-of-the-art scoreboard, field lighting, seating for 1,000 spectators, a press box, and more. The fundraiser surpassed its $1 million goal thanks to generous donations from major donors like Doug and Kathy Unruh, who contributed the largest single donation. While the facility is now in use, additional funds are being raised for the final component, a javelin runway. 2. McPherson City Commission Approves 2025 Budget. In local government news, the McPherson City Commission has approved the 2025 budget after a public hearing that included concerns from citizens about rising taxes and spending. The city has opted to exceed the revenue neutral rate, with a mill levy set at 53.238m. This decision is expected to generate an additional $700,000 in revenue, largely due to a 4% increase in property valuations. City officials cited the need to cover inflationary costs while maintaining essential services. In other commission business, a $61,000 change order was approved for fire station number two to keep the project on track. 3. McPherson School Board Approves 9.75% salary increase for teachers. Turning to education, the McPherson Public Schools Board of Education has ratified a new agreement that brings a significant pay raise for district teachers. The base salary will now be $45,000, marking a 20.4% increase over the past five years. This agreement was finalized in a special meeting on August 19, and is part of the district's ongoing effort to recognize and reward the dedication of its educators. The board will next consider salary adjustments for other employee groups in its upcoming September meeting. 4. Voter turnout drops significantly in McPherson County primary election. McPherson County saw a worrying trend in the recent August 6 primary election, with voter turnout plummeting to just 14%. This is a significant drop from the county's historical average of 30% for primaries. The county clerk highlighted this decline in a report to the county commission, noting that it reflects a broader statewide trend. The low turnout has sparked discussions on the need for increased public education to emphasize the importance of participating in local elections. 5. Home sales up 7.2% in July across mid-Kansas region. Finally, in real estate, home sales in the mid-Kansas region saw a 7.2% increase in July, with 149 home sold, according to Prairie Land Realtors. The McPherson area stood out with a 24.2% increase in sales, though the median price dropped slightly to $180,000. Homes are spending about 33 days on the market, indicating a brisk pace of sales in the region. New feature McPherson County Emergency Logs Be sure to check out the McPherson County Emergency Logs on the Ad Astra website, which include logs of all police, sheriff, fire, and EMS runs in the county. That's all for today's brief. Join us again next week for more news and local updates. This show was produced by Greg Young, wishing you a great day ahead, stay informed, and add asking for asking. It ain't always for that, but it's real. It's a way we were made wouldn't have it any other way. ♪ The people ♪