government spending Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

KPERS pension distribution creates 327 new ‘millionaires’0
- Tax & Spending
- May 12, 2018
An Open Records request fulfilled by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) shows record-setting payouts in 2017 of $1.64 billion. The number of KPERS ‘millionaires’ also set a new record, with 2,334 government retirees expected to receive more than $1 million in pension benefits over the first 20 years of retirement; that’s 327 more
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$2 billion 2017 Kansas payroll online 0
- Tax & Spending
- April 20, 2018
The 2017 calendar year State of Kansas payroll listing is now open for public inspection at KansasOpenGov. The $1.969 billion listing was obtained in an Open Records request and includes every person who received a state paycheck. Higher education dominates the Top Ten Agency Payrolls. Kansas State University had the largest payroll at $332.1 million
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City and county payrolls jumped in 2017 0
- Tax & Spending
- March 12, 2018
City and county payrolls in the state’s more populated areas grew much faster than inflation in 2017. The seven counties listed in the adjacent table collectively had a 4.4 percent payroll increase and the ten cities increased payroll by 2.7 percent on average. Inflation, by comparison, was just 1.7 percent. Kansas Policy Institute collects the
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Kansas Legislature Broke a Lot of Promises 0
- Tax & Spending
- June 15, 2017
Last September I made a very safe prediction for the 2017 session of the Kansas Legislature – “Regardless of who is elected to the 2017 Legislature, January will bring turmoil and major disappointment for many Kansans.” Like I said, a pretty safe bet…but the rationale ruffled a few feathers. “Many candidates and special interests say
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Kansas Budget Deficit overstated by $200 million 0
- Tax & Spending
- May 8, 2017
The reported $900 million, two-year Kansas budget deficit includes $192.6 million of revenue reductions that won’t occur and another $13 million that’s purely optional and needn’t occur. Collectively, these spending items overstate the budget shortfall by $205.6 million. Each item listed in the adjacent table is considered a ‘transfer’ of revenue rather than appropriated amounts
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City and County Payroll Provides Property Tax Insight 0
- Tax & Spending
- March 22, 2017
Newly published city and county payroll listings help explain why property taxes doubled, tripled or even quadrupled over the last nineteen years. Total pay for the nine counties and ten cities published on KansasOpenGov.org exceeds $1 billion, with 756 employees collecting more than $100,000 last year. City and county payroll excludes benefits but does count bonuses
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