Hays – Week of July 31, 2025

Housing Study Reveals Shortage, Sparks Debate on Growth and Policy

Economic Impact of Housing Incentives Under Scrutiny

County Considers Major Bond for Aging Infrastructure

City Finances Healthy as Sales Tax Continues Upward Trend

Sheriff’s Plea Secures Funding for Mental-Health Crisis Center

Housing Study Reveals Shortage, Sparks Debate on Growth and Policy

HAYS - A housing study update presented to the Hays City Commission on July 24, 2025, sparked a lengthy and robust debate about the city’s housing crisis and its path to growth. The study, an update to a 2022 report, projects that the city needs to build an average of 87 housing units annually to support a 1% population growth rate. However, commissioners and local development leaders noted a severe shortage of available lots for construction, with Doug Williams of Grow Hays stating that most of the 101 theoretically available lots are not actually for sale, creating an “inability of lot inventory to build on”. The discussion highlighted the city’s struggle to meet housing demand, which is seen as a critical component for attracting workforce and new retail.

City officials expressed frustration over the inability to foster new low-income housing development, concluding that the city has few options without a massive cash infusion. The commission discussed how multiple developers seeking to build low-income projects have been denied state-level tax credits, a key financing tool. The problem was recently compounded when the state of Kansas cut a matching-fund program for low-income housing, further hindering projects. While acknowledging the need for housing for residents in the lowest income brackets, commissioners were resistant to the idea of a “mill levy increase” to directly subsidize private development, with one commissioner stating, “I don’t think we should raise taxes, throw cash at private projects”.

Economic Impact of Housing Incentives Under Scrutiny

HAYS - The city’s use of Rural Housing Incentive Districts (RHIDs) as a primary tool to encourage development was a central topic of discussion, with the mayor acknowledging that the “community seems to be a little hard on RHIDs right now”. An RHID works by allowing the increased property-tax revenue from a new development to pay for the project’s infrastructure costs. The commission discussed how its previous, more restrictive RHID policy saw zero applications for 12 years. After the policy was opened up, it spurred development, including the Tallgrass 2nd Addition , which was described as a successful partnership between a nonprofit, the city, and private builders. In response to public skepticism, the mayor has requested a full report on the total economic impact of the RHID program, which is expected to be presented in August.

County Considers Major Bond for Aging Infrastructure

ELLIS COUNTY - The Ellis County Commission is considering taking on significant debt to address a slate of looming, high-cost capital-improvement projects. County Administrator Darin Myers presented a plan on July 15, 2025, to potentially bond for four critical projects: a remodel of the Law Enforcement Center after the Hays Police Department vacates it in 2026, a new EMS facility in the city of Ellis, and complete HVAC system replacements at both the County Admin Center and the Courthouse. Officials noted the courthouse HVAC system is failing and costs over $20,000 annually in repairs, forcing the courthouse to shut down on days of extreme heat or cold. A bond would allow the county to save an estimated $300,000 by completing the projects at once rather than spreading them out over several years.

City Finances Healthy as Sales Tax Continues Upward Trend

HAYS - Finance Director Kim Rupp delivered a positive financial report, noting that General Fund sales-tax collections continue to show healthy growth. For the month of June 2025, collections were up 6.7% compared to the previous year, an increase of $51,000. Year-to-date figures also show a positive trend, with collections running 2.7% ahead of the prior year. Overall city revenues exceeded expenditures for the month. However, the report also noted that total expenditures saw a significant increase of $605,000 compared to the same period last year, largely driven by $829,000in spending on capital projects to complete repairs from a May 24 hailstorm.

Sheriff’s Plea Secures Funding for Mental-Health Crisis Center

ELLIS COUNTY - Following powerful testimony from Sheriff Scott Braun , the Ellis County Commission agreed to support a nearly $76,000 funding increase for High Plains Mental Health Center to help establish a crisis-intervention center. Sheriff Braun told the commission the center is desperately needed to provide care for mentally ill individuals who often end up in his jail because there is nowhere else for them to go. He gave two recent examples of individuals who were held for weeks because state facilities were full. “This facility will keep people out of our jail,” Braun stated, adding that the current situation is “really unacceptable” for both the individuals and his staff. The funding was part of a larger, multi-county effort to establish the center.

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