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Minutes for HB2441 - Committee on Taxation
Short Title
Expanding the ability for cities and school districts to operate and finance a community historical museum.
Minutes Content for Wed, Jan 22, 2020
Adam Siebers, Assistant Revisor provided an overview on HB2441 which would expand the definitions to allow community historical museums. The bill amends the definitions of school districts which encompasses all school districts. It also amends the definition of city to incorporate all cities. The bill definitions would allow any school district or city to create a historical or sponsor a museum and allow property tax of one mill to be levied to support the community historical museum.
Representative Les Mason testified as a proponent for HB2441 noting the bill expands the definition so more cities and/or school districts can assist and finance the operation of historical museums (Attachment 1).
Thomas A. Brown, Mayor City of McPherson testified as a proponent for HB2441 noting the bill provides communities to have the freedom of choice to support their local museum. The bill allows communities to support their local museum via a local vote and does not ask for any additional State funds (Attachment 2).
Anna A. Ruxlow, Executive Director, McPherson Museum & Arts Foundation testified as a proponent for HB2441 noting their mission is to preserve, protect, and present local county and state history for educational and entertainment purposes. To provide this service is expensive to exhibit work, archive documentation, and programming. Currently the museum is sustained on donations, grants, endowments, and income from fund raising activities. HB2441 expands the restrictive definition to include any school district or city to adopt a museum supporting levy which will help museums across the state of Kansas (Attachment 3).
Representative Mason submitted written testimony as proponents to HB2441 from Jeff Johnson, Board President, McPherson Unified School District 418 (Attachment 4) and Zan Popp, President, Kansas Museums Association (Attachment 5).
In response to questions, Ms. Ruxlow stated one mill would generate $260,000. for one year, they are a 501(c)(3) and she was not opposed to including counties.
Trey Cocking, League of Kansas Municipalities submitted written testimony as neutral to HB2441 (Attachment 6).
Chairperson Johnson closed the hearing on HB2441.
