A city staff presenter briefed the Leavenworth City Commission on the League of Kansas Municipalities (LKM) priorities for the upcoming state legislative session, identifying home rule, sales-tax policy, housing incentives and mental-health/homelessness resources as the items most likely to affect Leavenworth.

The presenter said LKM and city staff will monitor bills that could "have a positive or negative impact to the city" and will bring requests for letters of support or opposition to commission meetings when appropriate. Staff have begun scheduling meetings with state representatives and plan to attend the LKM legislative preview webinar and deliver regular updates to the commission.

On home rule, the presenter said LKM’s top priority is protecting local authority. The presentation flagged a proposal discussed in other parts of the state to remove or limit local sales taxes on groceries; the presenter estimated that removing those local sales taxes could cost the city up to $1 million annually in lost revenue.

The presentation also called for attention to housing policy and tax incentives that encourage the kind of affordable housing Leavenworth needs. The presenter and commissioners discussed being strategic about incentives so the city does not attract housing that does not address the district’s demographics — for example, incentives aimed at senior housing that would not bring families into the district would not help local school enrollment.

Mental health and homelessness were described as regional problems that would benefit from state-level resources and regional cooperation. The presenter said the city already has raised the topic with the America Regional Council and would pursue programs and funding at the state level.

Other items staff said the city will monitor include proposed changes to the state school levy and appraisal processes, property-tax exemptions, and proposals to make local elections partisan. The presenter and commissioners agreed to ask staff for frequent legislative updates and to convene targeted meetings with representatives during the session.

The city manager said staff will hire an assistant who will focus partly on tracking legislation. Commissioners requested those hiring and legislative-tracking reports be included in the weekly updates to the commission.

No formal city action or vote was recorded at the study session; staff said they will return with updates and specific requests for the commission’s direction as bills move through the legislature.