City of Topeka Launches New Texting Service to Communicate with Residents

TOPEKA, Kan. – The City of Topeka is proud to announce the launch of a new texting service, TextMyGov, which will provide residents with another way to stay informed of upcoming events and initiatives involving city government.
The new initiative will be led by the City’s Office of Inclusive Communities and the Communications Department. Funding for this project was made possible thanks to a grant from the Information Network of Kansas.

Residents who wish to receive alerts in English can text “Topeka” to 91896. For Spanish- language alerts, residents can text “TopekaEspanol” to 91896. Standard message and data rates may apply.

The City will use the TextMyGov service to provide notifications about upcoming city-wide public meetings, new initiatives, important reminders, and opportunities to get involved with City government. This platform is intended for informational updates only and is not an emergency alert system.

Dan Garrett, Director of Communications for the City of Topeka, said the new service will strengthen the City’s ability to keep residents informed. “We’re always looking for ways to make communication simpler and more accessible for everyone in Topeka,” Garrett said.

Monique Glaude’, Director of the Office of Inclusive Communities, emphasized the program’s role in building stronger community connections. “Our goal is to help neighbors stay engaged and informed in ways that feel easy and meaningful,” Glaude’ said. “By offering alerts in both English and Spanish, we’re ensuring more residents can connect with their City, their neighborhoods, and each other.”

The City encourages all residents to sign up and take advantage of this convenient new way to stay connected with local government.

Kansas Property Tax Estimator helps Kansans better understand agricultural property taxes

New online tool from K-State agricultural economics provides free, interactive resource for landowners, producers and other stakeholders
Manhattan, KANSAS, October 2, 2026 – A new online tool funded by the Information Network of Kansas, Inc. (INK) is helping Kansans better understand how agricultural property taxes are calculated and explore how changes in key factors may affect estimated taxes. Funding from INK made the development of the tool and its supporting educational resources possible and allows them to be available to the public at no cost.

The Kansas Property Tax Estimator Tool, developed through the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics in collaboration with Cornell University, is a free, web-based resource that walks users through the agricultural land valuation process and allows them to compare “what-if” scenarios.

Kansas agricultural land is valued based on its use value rather than market value. The calculation incorporates numerous factors, including county, land use, land productivity, capitalization rate, assessment ratio, acreage and local mill levy. The Property Tax Estimator brings those components together in one application, allowing users to see each stage of the calculation.

“This tool is about making a complicated agricultural land valuation process easier for Kansans to understand,” said Leah Tsoodle, Ph.D., Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics. “We created this tool to increase the transparency of the property tax methodologies and to give users, from taxing districts to landowners, a planning tool.

Users can select a county, land use, land class and acreage, as well as adjust variables such as the capitalization rate and mill levy. The tool then provides estimated income per acre, appraised value per acre, assessed value per acre, tax per acre and total estimated tax. Results can also be downloaded to Excel for future reference.

The flexibility of the tool allows users to explore questions such as how a different land class or mill levy could affect estimated property taxes. It also provides a transparent way to see how individual components contribute to the final estimate.

The tool was designed to serve a broad range of users, including agricultural landowners and producers, taxing districts, legislators, lenders and advisers, and educators. Landowners, for example, can estimate taxes on land they own or are considering purchasing, while taxing districts can explore how changes in mill levies may affect revenue expectations.

INK support expands public access to Kansas information

The Information Network of Kansas, Inc. funded the development of the Kansas Property Tax Estimator as part of its work to expand public access to Kansas information and services. INK awarded $224,366 for the project, which has been completed and is now publicly available.

“We see this as an opportunity to help get a new tool in the hands of property owners, to help them in making important decisions regarding the use and management of their land,” said Murray McGee, Executive Director for the Information Network of Kansas.

The INK-funded project includes more than the estimator itself. A downloadable user guide, video tutorials and worked examples help users understand the valuation process and use the tool effectively.

The estimator is free, requires no account or software installation, and can be accessed through a web browser on a computer, tablet or phone.

The Kansas Property Tax Estimator was developed by Tsoodle and Dr. Allan Fabricio Pinto Padilla, Ph.D., Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.

The tool is intended for planning and educational purposes. It does not calculate an official property tax amount or replace an appraisal notice, tax bill or property-specific information from county appraisal and tax records.

Access the Kansas Property Tax Estimator

Launch the Kansas Property Tax Estimator on AgManager.info.

Media contacts:

Leah Tsoodle, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, ltsoodle@ksu.edu

Allan Fabricio Pinto Padilla, Ph.D., Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, afp68@cornell.edu

The Kansas Secretary of State recently unveiled a modernized filing system that was funded in part through a grant from the Information Network of Kansas. Moving from a paper process to a digital process is a giant leap. The new digital system improves transparency, efficiency and cost. Users can view proposed state regulations, search an in-progress archival catalogue and subscribe to email notices for scheduled public hearings. Below are two links to news articles providing more details on the new system.

Kansas secretary of state moves 60-year-old system from paper to online • Kansas Reflector

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18fhiJbEqT/

Just a reminder the Information Network of Kansas is accepting grant applications now through the end of May 2026. Contact the INK Executive Director for more details.

Information Network of Kansas, Executive Director Murray McGee recently received special recognition from the University of Kansas Public Management Center. Earlier this month, KU honored their 2025 Heartland Certified Public Manager Program (CPM) graduating class which included INK Board Member Kayla Savage from the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Information Network of Kansas (INK) Executive Director Murray McGee, who received his CPM credentials in 2016 was among a select group who were also recognized as recipients of the “CPM with Distinction” designation. This is a special honor for CPM graduates who complete 40 hours of continuing education credit and continue to utilize their skills to serve the public.

The CPM is a nationally accredited management program and certification in which participants develop and strengthen their management skills through a competency-based curriculum.

The Director of the KBI expressed his appreciation for the Information Network of Kansas support of the Amber Alert Program. He recently made his remarks on WIBW TV in Topeka.

https://www.wibw.com/video/2025/02/04/kbi-director-talks-amber-upgrades-role-immigration-enforcement/