Kansas

Decision instrument

State debt stops at $1 million unless a majority of all the votes at a general election approve more.

What public act authorizes the borrowing, and where is the purpose and the first-year cost written down? Kansas Constitution, Article 11, Sections 6, 7, and 8. A debt inside the $1 million needs a majority of all the members elected to each house, taken by yeas and nays. The law must levy an annual tax enough to pay the interest and the principal, and that appropriation cannot be repealed until both are paid. Above $1 million, the proposed law goes to the voters at a general election. A majority of all the votes cast at that election has to ratify it. The next legislature then enacts it. The state may also borrow to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or defend the state in war, and that money may be used only for that object or to repay the loan. The annual report says the state does not have statutory authority to issue general obligation bonds. The legislature has authorized specific-purpose revenue bonds instead.

Debt statement

No Annual Debt Statement of the New Jersey kind.

What yearly filing states gross debt, deductions, and how close the issuer is to its limit? State debt is in the annual report for the year ended June 30, 2025. County dollar rows are not attached.

Debt limit

A county’s bonded debt stops at 3% of assessed value. Franklin, Norton, and Wyandotte stop at 30%.

What cap binds a county or a city, and is the state's own ceiling a different rule? K.S.A. 10-306. The value is the assessed value of tangible taxable property certified to the county clerk on the preceding August 25. Refunding bonds, public-building-commission bonds, courthouse or jail bonds paid from a countywide sales tax, and certain jail bonds of Riley and Lyon counties are left out of that computation. Other statutes also take named bonds out of the limit.

Conflict rule

A state officer may not help make a contract with a business in which the officer or an immediate family member has a substantial interest.

Which ethics statute covers local officers, what counts as an interest, and who is left out? K.S.A. 46-233 and 46-229. A substantial interest includes owning more than $5,000 or 5% of a business, whichever is less; compensation of $2,000 in the preceding calendar year; gifts or honoraria of $500 or more in twelve months; or being an officer, director, associate, partner, or proprietor, no matter the pay. A contract let after competitive bidding was advertised by published notice is an exception. So is a price fixed by law. A person who helped make the contract may not take a job with the other side for two years, with the exceptions the statute lists.

Geography

One hundred five counties.

What is the county-equivalent, and which cities, schools, and authorities must not be pasted onto that row? FIPS 20001 through 20209. Cities and other units also borrow. Dollar rows stay blank.

Primary money record

No general obligation bonds. Highway revenue bond principal: $1.788 billion.

Which audited report is the state's own number, and as of what date? Annual report, June 30, 2025. Five Kansas Department of Transportation series are outstanding: 2015B, $44.8 million; 2017A, $168.4 million; 2018A, $151.1 million; 2024A, $694.0 million; 2025A, $730.0 million. Unamortized premium is $153.6 million. The report’s revenue-bonds-payable line, principal plus that premium, is $1.942 billion. Series 2024A issued $694.0 million in July 2024, of which $575 million refunded older bonds. Series 2025A issued $730.0 million in June 2025, of which $355 million refunded older bonds. The year began at $1.485 billion including premium.

Who pays the coupon

The highway bonds are paid from the State Highway Fund, not from a full-faith-and-credit pledge.

Which fund, tax, or rate is actually pledged — not which new store might show up later? The fund’s revenues include motor-fuel taxes, state sales taxes, compensating use taxes, and driver-license and vehicle-registration fees. In fiscal 2026 the principal due is $109.4 million and the interest due is $85.4 million. Interest still on the schedule is $686.6 million.

Other obligors

Component-unit revenue bonds: $3.444 billion. Do not add them to the $1.788 billion.

Which authorities and districts borrow beside the state and must not be added to its total? Those bonds, including Kansas Development Finance Authority issues, are secured by pledged revenues. The pledged revenues include selected tax receipts, fees, and appropriations. This pass did not split how much of the $3.444 billion is each. Other university-system component units add $653 million. The Turnpike’s bonds are paid from tolls. The governmental net pension liability was $2.064 billion. The OPEB liability was $37.7 million. None of those is highway-bond principal.

Book-entry wall

Cede & Co., at the Depository Trust Company.

Who is the registered owner on ordinary public paper? Series-level confirmation still waits on that official statement. Beneficial owners stay unnamed.