By Emma Loura

Riley County officials on Thursday approved a $194,000 proposal from BBN Architects to perform a needs assessment on judicial services. This assessment will include the courthouse as well as the county attorney and community corrections offices. BBN is partnering with Fentress, an architectural firm that specializes in judicial buildings.

Public works director John Ellermann said a part of this assessment will look at the First Christian Church building. Officials previously discussed turning it into a courthouse.

“Part of this is to analyze the church site,” Ellermann said.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

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By Emma Loura

Commissioners on Thursday took the final steps in approving a budget that will mean a 5% increase in county property taxes for the average homeowner.

Under this budget, the owner of a $100,000 property who paid $516.45 in taxes last year would pay $542.15 on the property, now valued at $105,000, based on the average valuation increase of an existing, single-family home.

The commission approved a county budget certificate in the amount of $108.98 million and a $6.99 million budget for special district funds.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

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The post Riley County approves 2026 budget certificates appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Emma Loura

Property owners in Riley County will see an average 5% increase in their county taxes in 2026 after county officials on Monday approved publishing a public hearing notice for its new budget.

The mill levy for the 2026 budget is 37.951, a 0.002 mill decrease from 2025, when the mill levy was 37.953. A mill is $1 in taxes for every 1,000 in assessed, taxable property value.

That means the average owner of a home worth $100,000 who paid $436.46 in property taxes for 2025 would pay $458.25 in 2026 for a home now worth $105,000, given the average increase of an existing, single-family home in the county.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more Riley County news.

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Riley County backs grant bid to attract new residents

+ more local headlines and the latest in sports.

The post The KMAN 5-Minute Morning Show: Commission OKs $46K to recruit out-of-state movers + more local news & sports appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Rose Gruenbacher

The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled this month that Riley County District Court judge’s decision to affirm the approval of an amended planned unit development application for Liquid Art winery by county commissioners was valid.

While the court saw the merit of Prairiewood Holding’s appeal, their final opinion upholds Judge Grant Bannister’s decision.

Prairiewood, a retreat and tallgrass preserve on Wildcat Creek Road, brought the board of Riley County Commissioners to court after the board in 2022 approved an application from Lawe LLC for replatting and an amended PUD on their property. The amendment did not include a rezoning request.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

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The post Kansas Appeals Court upholds Riley County decision on local development appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Rose Gruenbacher

Riley County commissioners on Monday considered a 2026 budget which would create a 10% increase in property taxes for the average homeowner.

The proposed county mill rate is 39.981, an increase of almost 2 mills from 2025.

A mill is $1 in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed, taxable property value.

A homeowner who paid $436.34 in property tax on a $100,000 home in 2025 would pay $481.68 on a home now worth $105,000 in 2026, using the county’s 5% average property tax increase for existing single-family homes. That’s an increase of $45.34, or 10.4%.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more Riley County news.

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By Emma Loura

Riley County officials on Monday proposed raises which would increase pay 2.4% overall for county employees — a smaller increase than they pitched at last week’s meeting.

This proposed increase is a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) which would total $736,870 for the 2026 budget.

At Thursday’s meeting, the proposed total for raises in 2026 was $743,526. The county commission did not vote Monday.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more Riley County news.

The post Riley County officials propose 2.4% increase for cost-of-living raises appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Emma Loura

Riley County officials on Monday proposed raises which would increase pay 2.4% overall for county employees — a smaller increase than they pitched at last week’s meeting.

This proposed increase is a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) which would total $736,870 for the 2026 budget.

At Thursday’s meeting, the proposed total for raises in 2026 was $743,526. The county commission did not vote Monday.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more Riley County news.

The post Riley County officials propose 2.4% increase for cost-of-living raises appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

All eyes will be on the Riley County Commission Thursday as the board considers a possible veto of a Manhattan workforce housing project.

In a Wednesday newsletter to its members, the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce reiterated its support for the project and urged the county to support the project.

“We would be disappointed if the county would take this approach on the issue,” the letter stated. “We cannot continue to pay for existing services if we don’t grow. The existing tax burden on our residents, small businesses and entrepreneurs and lack of growth to provide more jobs and shopping opportunities is dragging down our ability to achieve our full economic potential.”

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more local news.

The post Manhattan Chamber of Commerce urges Riley County to support RHID proposal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Emma Loura

The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce asked Riley County officials to slow down in its Reinvestment Housing Incentive District policy Thursday.

RHID is a program that reimburses developers for property tax increases, enabling them to build housing.

The post Chamber of Commerce asks county to slow down RHID policies appeared first on News Radio KMAN.