A photo of a Friendship Swing, much like the Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis are collaborating with others to install in a Fort Scott park in 2021. Submitted photo.
Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis, a service organization helping the children of Bourbon County, has started a project in memory of a longtime member.
A Pioneer Kiwanis meeting, taken from its’ Facebook page.
The Joyce True Memorial Project for children began following the passing of True in July 2019, according to a press release sent by Gayle Sackett and Kelley Collins, spokespeople for the group.
Collins is secretary for the organization, Sackett is a board member.
“The club began looking for a suitable project to honor her that would benefit children of the community. The Friendship Swing seemed to meet the criteria.”
“The multi-user, one size fits all swing offers a unique opportunity for area children and families to engage in healthy outdoor play together and help youth to develop and a variety of physical and social skills,” according to the press release.
Funding for the project was multi-faceted.
“To supplement the memorial, the club decided to contribute money that had been raised previously for playground equipment. They applied for and received a grant from the Kiwanis Kansas District Foundation. Lastly, they partnered with the City of Fort Scott and jointly applied for a Fort Scott Area Community Foundation Grant.”
That FSACF grant, awarding of a generous $2,000, allowed the project to be on track for a completion date in spring 2021.
The project is truly a community collaboration.
The group will also need hands-on volunteer involvement when the installation begins.
The swing will be located in an agreed-upon location in a Fort Scott park.
To learn more about the company that makes the chair:
Dave Martin, Fort Scott City’s Manager retired today, with an effective date of Oct. 30, 2020. He was hired as city manager in August 2010.
According to the retirement/severance contract provided by the City of Fort Scott, Martin through the remainder of 2020 will receive his full rate of salary, $4,133.60 bi-weekly.
Martin will remain on the city health plan until Dec. 2021, also according to the document, which can be viewed below:
The number of advance voting ballots mailed out for the Kansas 2020 General Election has sharply increased, according to The Kansas City Star newspaper dated Oct. 15.
“The state said it was shipping 456,148 advance ballots this year, way beyond the 133,822 in 2016 and 128,220 in 2018.
“Democrats so far have had the highest mail-in ballot turnout. Officials reported that among ballots received, 1,261 were from those affiliated as Democrats, followed by Republicans (556), unaffiliated voters (549) and Libertarians (17).”
“On Day 1 of early voting Wednesday, (Oct. 15) Kansans returned more than triple the number of mail-in ballots sent in 2016, according to the Secretary of State’s office.”
“Officials reported 2,383 ballots sent back as of Wednesday. That’s three times the 771 after the first day of mail-in voting in 2016 and 423 in 2018.”
“The Secretary of State’s office explained in a subsequent Tweet that the ballots returned thus far are from military personnel and overseas citizens, who are sent ballots beginning 45 days prior to the election.”
In Bourbon County to date, there have been 432 advance in-person voters with two weeks left until the Nov. 3 election, according to Clerk Kendell Mason.
“We have mailed 970 ballots and 376 have been returned,” Mason said.
Kendell Mason. Submitted photo.
In the 2019 general election, there were 493 total in-person advance voters, she said.
“Advance voters put their voted ballots in a machine that counts their votes, but we will not know the results of those votes until we close down the machine on November 3rd,” Mason said.
Voters took advantage of advance voting at the Bourbon County Clerk’s Office.
The Bowman Family moved into the Beaux-Arts Centre. Submitted photo.
Before March 2020, the Bowman family was quite content living in North Kansas City in a wonderful neighborhood, Lorina Bowman said. “I accidentally came across the Beaux-Arts Centre on Zillow ( a real estate website) and saw a lot of potential. “
The Beaux-Arts Centre, 102 S. National Ave, is next door to the post office.
“When my husband saw it, he was also excited,” she said.
They set up several appointments with the owners to view the property.
” We tried to talk ourselves out of it because the building needs to be updated quite a bit, but every con was able to be twisted into a pro,” she said. They prayed and feel God led them to purchase the property.
The family plans to open a museum with interactive components and call it Exploratorium.
“It’s always been a dream of ours to open a business that would incorporate all of my family’s hobbies and talents,” Lorina said. “The fact that my family is able to live on the top floor while we build the museum is the only way our vision is possible.”
“We will have fun, unique exhibits that all ages will enjoy, such as; Barbie, Model Trains, Lego, and more,” Lorina said. “We will have play structures and other hands-on activities. The building will also include a gift shop and eventually a snack bar. We are most excited about our classroom which is where we will host workshops and clubs to really get the community involved in teaching, learning and exploring new hobbies and talents.”
The Bowman Family is comprised of Johnathan, a computer programmer who works from home since leaving California in June 2017. “He is excited to learn new handyman skills as he tackles different projects in the building,” Lorina said.
Lorina is a stay-at-home mom but loves to make crafts to sell at fairs and is excited to have a full-time gift shop to sell all the creations she’s made over the years, she said.
She’s also happy she can put on events to “appease her overzealous party planning passion,” she said.
Marshall is 15 years old and enjoys creating Electonic Dance Music on the computer and building weapons out of polyvinyl chloride pipe.
Vivian is 13 and loves Harry Potter, Legos, and reading.
Theodore is almost 11 and a master at creating obstacle courses and unique games for his siblings to play, Lorina said.
Lawrence is 9 and can fold origami for hours and keep his family laughing with his humor, she said.
Adelaide is 4 and does her best to keep up with the rest of the family, she said.
The youngest is Harriet, 2, who has the cutest smile and curls, Lorina said.
The timeline for the project is undetermined.
“The timeline really depends on the community,” Lorina said. ” My husband and my dad have been doing a lot of the projects tackled so far. If left to our own devices we could eventually open our doors to the public but it would be years in the making. Why wait that long? “
“With enough community support through funding and volunteer labor we could open as early as next spring and then ALL generations could come together to enjoy our Exploratorium,” she said.
Follow the project on Facebook @ Fort Scott Exploratorium to find out how you can help and see what they have accomplished and what currently working on.
Wednesday, October 21, the Fort Scott Community College Nursing Program will have its accreditation visit with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
“Accreditation in nursing education is voluntary, but we remain accredited to ensure quality education in nursing,” Jordan Howard, the FSCC Director of Nursing, said. “This is verified by the peer-reviewed process that happens every eight years. We maintain our accreditation so agencies that hire our graduates know they have employed a student that graduated from a program that has consistently graduated competent nurses. In addition, we continue to be accredited for our students, as they are able to further their education if they so choose. Being accredited shows a higher level of nursing education, that we are an institution of quality education.”
“During this (accreditation) time they want to visit with community members,” he said. ” I am trying to reach as many community members as we can. I have written a write up on our nursing Facebook page.”
“We’re looking for anyone that wants to join(the meeting),” Howard said. “The site team will ask them questions about our program them will allow them to give their concern if they have any.”
“They will ask several questions and give the opportunity to have your voice heard,” Howard said.
The meeting is Wednesday, October 21 at 2:40 p.m.
“You can remote in from home or call in from your phone,” Howard said. “We will also have rooms available in Fort Scott at 810 Burke Street. If you decide to come to our campus please enter the northeast door and bring a mask if you have one. For additional information on ACEN, you can visit acenursing.org. Below is the information you will need to attend this meeting.”
The Fort Scott Community College Nursing Department offers students an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing for students who have completed prerequisite courses and four semesters of nursing courses, according to information on the school’s webpage. Graduates are eligible to take the national licensing exam for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) and to apply for state licensure as a registered nurse. Our program prepares students for beginning staff nursing positions and delivering nursing care to individuals and groups as members of a healthcare team to promote health and wellness.
FSCC’s Nursing Department participates in the Kansas Academic Progression Model, which allows LPNs who hold a Kansas license to continue their studies at FSCC to obtain an associate’s degree in nursing. FSCC nursing graduates can continue their studies at any of the state’s 12 colleges and universities to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
The FSCC nursing program is approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN). The nursing curriculum reflects the Kansas ADN Alignment project and is current with nursing theory and practice using Quality and Safety for Nursing Education (QSEN) as its framework.
Educational facilities include four lecture classrooms, a skills lab, human simulation lab, computer lab, IV skills lab, conference/library, and audio/visual viewing room. Students may also take advantage of the student commons area for study and informal gatherings.
FSCC main campus resources are available for all students. Clinical settings include healthcare agencies in Fort Scott, Paola, Girard, Osawatomie, and Pittsburg in Kansas and Nevada in Missouri. Instruction at the Miami County Campus is provided through Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) with the instructor present at the Burke Street Campus. All campus nursing lab experiences are provided at the Burke Street Campus.
The Fort Scott High School Choral Club pause for a photo during practice on Thursday. Submitted photo.
A Fort Scott Middle/High School Choral Music Teacher vacancy was not replaced by the USD 234 Board of Education this summer.
“Abby Helt, the choir teacher that was hired to replace Emily Elliott, withdrew in July, and there was not another teacher hired,” said Mary Jo Harper, Eugene Ware Elementary School’s Music Teacher. “They opened a position up for an after-school choir at the high school that I applied for.”
Mary Jo Harper. Submitted photo.
“I got the green light to begin rehearsals in October and we started on Tuesday,” Harper said. “Students in 9-12th grade are welcome to participate. We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 PM-4:15 PM in the Choir Room at FSHS.”
“Our goal is to aid students interested in auditioning for district and state choir (virtual this year) to have that opportunity and to prepare students for the spring musical.”
“We are also striving to continue to cultivate a passion for choral music, preparing for community performances and other events that may be able to happen in the future.,” Harper said.
” During the pandemic, the science is continuously updating,” Harper said. “Our goal is to continue to follow the COVID guidelines put out by the National Association for Music Education and Kansas State High School Activities Association, meaning masked singing during rehearsals whether indoors or outdoors, limited to about 30 minutes at a time in any space, temperatures recorded, and symptom scanning.”
“Our first rehearsal was filled with folk songs to warm up and prepare for this adventure,” Harper said. “While we wait for the clearance to sing in the elementary classroom, this has been one way I get to feed my musical soul. It’s been lovely to be able to see our students continue to love singing in high school. I’m glad I get to be a part of their continued choral education!”
Fort Scott Middle School After School Choir
Jannah Farrington at Fort Scott Middle School is doing an after school choir with interested students, Harper said.
Jannah Farrington, Fort Scott Middle School Special Education Teacher and Choral Club Teacher. Submitted photo.
“When I was asked if I would be interested I was over the moon excited.,” Farrington said. “Special Education is my passion but music was my first love. I am a singer and began my college career as a vocal music major. I am excited to be on this journey as it lights a fire deep in my soul.”
She started with four interested students and now has up to seven.
“That number is growing as the word gets out to more and more students,” Farrington said.
“Our purpose together is to create music,” she said. “To use our musical instrument that was given to us.”
“We meet three days a week after school,” Farrington said. “That is adjusted to two days a week if we have a short week.”
“I am teaching basic skills on how to read music,” she said. ” I am also teaching them how to improve their tone, pitch ability and we are working on two-part harmony.”
They are working on a traditional and a contemporary piece of music.
“I am working on them listening to one another and singing together, building confidence, practicing hard and improving their singing skills,” she said.
She is striving to have fun in the club, during these uncertain and different times, she said.
“We are following the (pandemic) guidelines we need to and my students have adjusted well to that,” she said. ” We are not preparing for competition currently but are preparing and will host a zoom concert for their parents.”
Dr. John Fox MD and Mary Beth Newkirk APRN, FNP-C are the owners of NewFox Wellness. Submitted photo.
Dr. John Fox and Nurse Practitioner Mary Beth Newkirk have partnered to open a new med/spa business called NewFox Wellness.
It is located at 1118 S. Clark, Fort Scott inside the Re:Freshed Salon and Spa, just off 12th Street and Hwy. 69.
NewFox Wellness is located in the Five-Corners Strip Mall off of 12th Street.
The business features advanced aesthetics.
“Advanced aesthetics is typically offered in large cities but we are bringing these services closer to home,” Newkirk said. “Many people use these types of products but it takes a lot of time, travel, and added expenses to go to K.C. or farther for treatment. By offering these services in the community, people can actually decrease their overall cost and time. We plan to continue to expand with many additional services and are open to wellness suggestions from the community!”
Newkirk works on a patient. Submitted photo.
Services offered: Botox, Dysport, dermal fillers, Kybella, microneedling with the only FDA approved SkinPen, skin tag removal, and Cryotherapy for minor skin lesions, she said.
“Our goal is to partner with Delane Godden, owner of {Re:Freshed} Salon and Spa, to treat the whole person’s facial and skin needs,” Newkirk said. “We all have blemishes or insecurities about our bodies we want fixed; these products allow Dr. Fox and I to offer results at a fraction of the cost compared to surgery and/or laser treatments.”
Newkirk enjoys the job she has.
Newkirk works on a patient. Submitted photo.
” As a provider, there is an amazing amount of joy in watching a person’s confidence increase after correcting a facial asymmetry or treating their TMJ pain with Botox or healing acne scarring that has been present for years,” she said. “Many of the services we are offering will boost a person’s self-esteem, worth, and confidence. Who doesn’t want that? “
NewFox Wellness is located inside the Re:Freshed Salon and Spa, 1118 S. Clark. Submitted photo.
She is offering free consultations and grand opening promotions as well. The grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 1.
The phone number is 620-215-5890.
The business will be from Monday-Saturday by appointments. “Times may vary based on injector availability,” Newkirk said.
Follow NewFox Wellness on Facebook and IG for more info and updates.
Owners
Newkirk is a Nurse Practitioner certified in family medicine.
” I graduated with my advanced nursing degree from Pittsburg State University and have additional training in Advanced Aesthetics and injectables through the National Laser Institute,” she said.
She trained under Brittney Burnworth, nurse practitioner and owner of BB Aesthetics in Columbus Ohio, a top 250 medspa in the nation, she said. She is an Allergan Epic Advanced Training Injector Nurse Educator.
Dr. John Fox is co-owner and medical director for NewFox Wellness.
“Dr. Fox is well known and loved in this community,” Newkirk said. “It was a huge loss to our area when Mercy (Hospital) closed and he was forced to move his practice outside our area. NewFox Wellness is a way for us to give back to his wonderful patients and the community by offering services not provided in this area.”
Hound Nutrition owner, Haven Kelly, right, stands in front of the snack shop with Abbygail Profitt, one of four employees. Profit is from Joplin, MO.
Haven Kelly was 19 when she opened Hound Nutrition in downtown Fort Scott in August 2020.
The young entrepreneur said she saw an opportunity and “went for it. There is not a nutrition shop in Fort Scott.”
An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. Kelly’s dad, David Owens, is a silent partner in the business.
“He comes on weekends and helps out,” Kelly said. “He supports me in every way possible.”
Kelly is from Blue Jacket, OK, her dad is from Welch, OK.
Hound Nutrition sells snacks, meal replacements, and all manner of teas at the shop.
One side of the Hound Nutrition Menu.
“We use Herbal Life Nutrition, the number one nutrition company in the world,” Kelly said.
“We do protein waffles, donuts and cake pops,” she said.
Today, Oct. 14 the shop is having its first Waffle Wednesday.
“We will sell them until we run out,” she said. “I’m super excited.”
On Thursdays, the shop personnel sells mega teas for the price of a medium, and on Saturdays, one can buy five to-go teas for $25, she said.
This Friday evening is the start of game nights at the shop, Kelly said.
“Card games, board games, Jenga, corn hole and tic/tac/toe,” she said.
“I’ll be open to play some games and hang out,” Kelly said. “It starts Oct. 16, open until 8-9 p.m.
Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kelly is on the Fort Scott Community College softball team.
A local business resource center was brought to fruition because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“The idea of a business resource center being needed became abundantly clear around March or April,” Jody Hoener, Bourbon County Economic Director said. “Businesses were scrambling, trying to maintain or adapt as required, trying to keep their heads above water, all while attempting to navigate the very complex financial relief offered by the (U.S.)Small Business Administration and others. Just raising awareness of the opportunities and making critical connections to financial institutions for relief became a full-time job, let alone helping owners fill out applications.”
Jody Hoener, Bourbon County Economic Development Director. Submitted photo.
B-WERC Formed
The local program, called the Bourbon County Workforce and Entrepreneur Resource Center (B-WERC), was funded through Kansas’ Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas program, which was from money dispursed through the U.S. Cares Act Relief, all of these COVID-19 related measures by the layers of government.
Its purpose is to address current and immediate COVID-19 Pandemic related needs to assist business, encourage economic activity, and address unemployment, according to Hoener.
“I realized that the solution of throwing money at the problem was a very short term fix,” Hoener said. ” Businesses need customers for long term sustainability. The value in an increased online presence was highlighted more than ever during this pandemic. Restaurants were developing online solutions for curbside or delivery services as they were forced to close down. Other retailers were developing online solutions to get their products in the hands of customers. Distance learning, telework, or telehealth became a forced reality.”
Partnerships
“Other partnerships and resources are available through the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Scott Community College,” she said. “The chamber will assist the county in coordinating and promoting. Fort Scott Community College will be offering community classes in B-WERC on social media and other skills. Classes will be hands-on with available laptops for each participant. Telework and distance learning stations will be available for community members who need access to high-speed internet.”
Fort Scott Community College.
“We will provide 20 qualified businesses free website building with expert assistance in value propositions and messaging critical to branding,” Hoener said.
A partnership with the Small Business Development Center at Pittsburg State University will assist businesses to obtain needed capital and provide business planning assistance for sustainability, Hoener said.
Pittsburg State University.
“These incredibly valuable services, in addition to marketing or industry reports, will be readily available,” she said. “This unique assistance will give businesses the needed help to build sustainable models.”
Entrepreneurs
“Many times communities who experience high unemployment rate will in turn see high entrepreneurship rates,” Hoener said. “For those (who are) unemployed and have great ideas to start their own business, this will give them the tools and know-how to move forward successfully.”
Job-Seeking
“A job seeking service will also be available onsite through another partner, KansasWorks, two times a week,” she said.
Childcare, An Important Component
“Childcare centers and daycares have high standards to maintain licensures. One requirement is to meet continuing education requirements. Although continued education for staff is clearly a need, it can create a burden on the facilities in scheduling, costs, and human resources. It is estimated there are approximately 15 illegal daycare providers in our county. Through our partner KansasWorks, B-WERC will be implementing a program that will offer to work with the childcare centers and daycares to meet credentialing requirements of continuing education hours. A program will be implemented to incentivize illegal care to become legal. Childcare is critical to keep our workforce working.” Hoener said.
The B-WERC office will be located on the second floor of the old Kress building at 17 S. Main in downtown Fort Scott. The office is expected to be open Nov. 2, according to Hoener.
The street-level floor of the building will house a grocery store.
The store owner, BAJA Investments, LLC, was also a recipient of the SPARK grant program. To see the story on that, click below:
Bourbon County Website Building and Marketing Grants Program Parameters
The grants will be scored and consequently awarded on a first come first serve basis to those that are eligible, according to Hoener. Applications will remain open until October 31, 2020. The grant will be awarded until 20 qualified businesses have been awarded.
Who Is Eligible
For businesses located within Bourbon County, priority will be given to those businesses with a physical location.
The business must currently have minimal (basic) to no online or website presence.
Grants are for businesses who have experienced business disruptions as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic and will benefit from an increased online presence through any or all of the following:
Increased foot traffic
Encouraging tourism activities
Enhance or enable online scheduling (i.e. curbside, delivery, hair appointments)
Enhance or enable online sales
Raise awareness of critical structures in the community (i.e. Food Access, Child Care, etc.)
The applicant must be willing to spend a minimum of 5-10 hours over the next several months working with The Bureau of Small Projects staff.
Non-profits are not eligible under this program
The County reserves the right to request additional documentation
How to Apply
Applications are online at Bourboncountyks.org/spark
Once an application is submitted, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce President, Lindsay Madison, and Bourbon County Economic Development Director will review, Hoener said. The application will be scored to determine if the application meets minimum standards to qualify. A follow-up email will be sent to the applicant’s business.
Lindsay Madison, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. Submitted photo.
An application will only be considered once it is fully completed with all requested documentation required to support the requested funding.
Parameters
Grants applications will be open until October 31st.
Grants are awarded on a first come first serve basis to those who are eligible.
Grant Scoring Algorithm:
Grant Purpose: Website Building and Marketing Services for Business Impacted by the COVID 19 Pandemic
Points
Current Online Presence
Facebook Only
5
No Facebook or Website
5
A basic, static, webpage only
5
A dynamic web page currently exists
0
How Would an Online Presence Benefit the Applicant? (Check all that apply)
Increased foot traffic
5
Encourage tourism activities
5
Enhance or enable online scheduling
5
Enhance or enable online sales
5
Raise awareness of a public need such as food or childcare
5
Business Activities and Impact (Check all the Apply)
The business is a childcare center or daycare
5
Business sales a product that can be legally sold online
5
The business provides a service that scheduling can be done online
5
The business is located in Downtown Historic District
5
The Business encourages overnight stays
5
***Minimum score of 5 from each of the three categories is required to be determined eligible
Process
A complete application must be submitted online.
Additional Information may be requested for clarification.
Economic Development Director and Chamber President will score the application and make the final determination of eligibility.
Economic Development Director will send congratulatory and introductory emails to The Bureau of Small Projects and the business contact.
Brent Cavin, manager of Fort Cinema, has come up with a collaboration to allow Fort Scott High School Tiger Football to be seen on the big screens.
“As new movies continue to be pushed back months we have switched our mindset and focus from being not only a movie theater, but into a gathering place for the community,” Cavin said.
Recently, they have made theater rentals available for private movie and video game parties on the big screens.
To view the previous story on theater rentals, click below:
“This is the next step for our community to help keep their theater open,” Cavin said. “It was an idea that came to us as we realized some of the away football games have limited fan attendance. When we noticed that the upcoming football game is several hours away we decided this is the perfect opportunity to give back to the community.”
The number of fans is limited because of the COVID-19 pandemic precautions.
Cavin contacted FSHS and Fort Scott Broadcasting on Friday to pitch the idea, and both were enthusiastic about the concept.
“All three screens are capable of broadcasting the game via Fort Scott TV,” he said. “We are hoping that broadcasting conditions will be optimal Friday night from Wamego, and we are making sure our theater will be able to hopefully stream the game without any hiccups.”
Admission is free.
The staff is asking those who want to attend to come and get a ticket sometime this week between the hours of 6 p.m.and 8 p.m.
“This is solely to give us an estimate on crowd size,” Cavin said.
“There will be a free will donation bucket available for anyone who would like to donate money,” he said.
“Our concession stand will be open with food that all fans are familiar with when they attend games: popcorn, pretzels, nachos, candy, and pizza by the slice from Papa Don’s will be sold,” Cavin said.
The cinema is located just off South Main Street at 224 W. 18th Street.
Doors will open at 6:00 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00.
Come support the undefeated Tigers, while supporting the local cinema.
The Fort Scott High School football team celebrates in a 2015 game.
Chet and Linda Bower received news that they are a recipient of the Kansas SPARK Grant.
The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce is leading Kansas forward in recovery from the effects of COVID-19. They are responsible for statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.
The Bowers own five acres northwest of Fort Scott, of which one acre is in garden produce.
The Bower’s grant will be used for repairing or updating farm equipment, Linda said. “The equipment must be repaired or purchased by Dec. 31, according to the grant.”
“This will allow us to effectively increase produce to supply to local people,” she said.
The Bower’s have been vendors at the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market for many years.
In addition, they supply produce to Papa Don’s Restaurant, Fort Scott and Emory’s Restaurant in Missouri.
“Excess produce is donated to the Beacon,” Linda said. “Also local assisted living facilities. We hate to throw anything away.”
The Fort Scott Farmer’s Market ends the last Saturday in October.
“Right now there is squash, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, pumpkins, baked goods, pies, chicken, eggs, honey, and crafts,” Linda said.
The market is located on Skutbitz Plaza, in front of the Fort Scott National Historic Site, at the end of North Main Street.
The vendors set up shop on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Bronson, Fort Scott, Fulton, Mapleton, Redfield and Uniontown all benefit from the upcoming proposed 1-percent sales tax that will be on the Nov. 3 Bourbon County Ballot.
In fact, if the proposal fails to renew (the sales tax has been in place for years), cities will have to make hard decisions concerning services they can provide their communities, according to authorities.
Several community officials have responded with what the possible impact on their communities will be.
“If a no vote prevails, each entity receiving this sales tax would have troubling decisions that would set our communities back even further,” Fort Scott’s Financial Director Susan Bancroft said. “Some communities may be forced to raise property taxes to cover lost revenue and some may face having to make the decision to unincorporate.”
“Citizens may ask why a sales tax rather than a property tax,” Bancroft said. ” Local residents and nonresident consumers buying in Bourbon County share in the revenue generated from a sales tax. Essentially, visiting consumers help financially support improvements in our communities versus a property tax solely coming from Bourbon County residents.’
“Currently, The City of Fort Scott generates roughly $750,000 per year from the 1% sales tax,” Bancroft said. “Approximately 67% ($500,000) of the sales tax is used for the street department for operations and basic maintenance to our city streets.”
“Additionally, 20% of the sales tax supports any capital improvements needed for parks, public safety, recreational facilities and public buildings,” she said. “The remaining 13% of the sales tax supports general fund operations for things such as: public parks, municipal airport, Woodland Hills Golf Course, aquatic center, Buck Run Community Center and public safety.”
FS Commission Recent Change: 90% Will Go To Streets
“At the October 6th commission meeting, the (Fort Scott)City Commission made a bold decision to change their current allocations of the 1% countywide sales tax to the street department,” Bancroft said. “The current 67% will increase to 90%, and will be dedicated to the street department for operations and maintenance if the sales tax passes on November 3rd. The remaining 10% will be used to continue to fund public parks, public buildings, recreational facilities, and public safety.”
Graphic provided by Susan Bancroft.
Bronson, Fulton, Mapleton, Redfield and Uniontown use the portion of their sales tax to support general operations and are a significant part of their budgets, Bancroft said.
Bancroft broke down the following percentages for how much the countywide sales tax generates in each entity as a percentage of total revenue received:
Bourbon County 35%
Bronson 18%
Fort Scott 11%
Mapleton 29%
Redfield 27%
Uniontown 14%
“I encourage the citizens of Bourbon County to research the facts to understand the impact this vote could make on our county. The proposed sales tax is not a new sales tax. This sales tax is simply renewing the current sales tax in place, and for all entities, it is to support the day to day activities that keep our communities running.” Bancroft stated.
Bronson
“The City of Bronson relies on the countywide sales tax to supplement our general fund to reduce the burden on property taxpayers,” according to Bronson City Clerk Ellen Harper. “Our general fund pays, in full or in part, expenses for general operations of the city wages, liability insurance, street maintenance, community center, library and parks. We would lose over $25,000 a year, which may not seem like much, but for a small city it would be detrimental to our finances. An estimated loss of 18% revenue would mean an approximate increase of 43 mills if it were to be added to property taxes. We couldn’t put that kind of burden on our citizens. So many services and benefits would have to be cut.”
Uniontown
“The City of Uniontown receives approximately $22,000 annually from this tax,” Uniontown City Clerk Sally Johnson said. “These funds are deposited to the general fund to help fund our public services to our community. These funds have not been earmarked for specific projects but have been used to fund a portion of patch material for city streets, culverts, ditch repairs, street lighting, signal light at Hwy. 3 intersection, help maintain the community center and much more. The City of Uniontown would like for citizens to consider renewing this tax so we can continue to provide services to our community.”
Fort Scott
Fort Scott’s Finance Director Bancroft states “The City of Fort Scott depends heavily on the countywide sales tax. If the sales tax does not pass, the impact will be greater than the $750,000 generally generated from the sales tax. The $750,000 of sales tax will be lost revenue and an additional $500,000 will need to be cut from other areas to continue to supply the same essential operations and maintenance in the street department. This equates to 1.2 million dollars that would need to be cut if the countywide sales tax does not pass. Areas that would be affected are public safety, parks, economic development, recreational facilities, aquatic center and staffing.”
Susan Bancroft is the Fort Scott Finance Director. Submitted photo.
Fulton
“Without the allocation of funds to the City of Fulton that are obtained through this sales tax, we would be cutting our yearly general fund in half,” Misty Adams, Mayor of Fulton said. “This would not be operable for our small town. The loss of revenue would be a huge loss and devastation for our small town and many other small rural communities. We would be operating in the red by year-end and be seeking assistance from our county commissioners. Without the passing of the 1% sale tax, we residents would see an increase in our property taxes and for some, this would create a financial hardship. Many small rural towns are housed by retirees who are budgeting their monthly expenses and are on fixed income, so increase in expenses is not what we are looking to do.”
The sales tax will appear on the Bourbon County November 3, 2020 ballot, as follows (taken from the county’s website):
Shall the following be adopted?
Shall Bourbon County, Kansas, levy (renew) a one percent countywide retailers’ sales tax to take effect on July 1, 2021, and expire on June 30, 2031, with the allocated shares pursuant to K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 12-192 to be used as follows: (1) to Bourbon County, for the purpose of maintenance and construction of hard surface roads, and (2) to each city located in Bourbon County, for the purpose of providing funding for public services?
To vote in favor of any question submitted upon the ballot, darken
the oval to the left of the word “YES”; to vote against it, darken
