Chapter 15, CITIES OF THE THIRD CLASS

15-101. Cities of third class; government. All municipal corporations of the territory or state of Kansas, heretofore organized as cities, towns, or villages, containing not more than two thousand inhabitants (and not heretofore organized as cities of the second class), including…

15-104. City to remain a part of corporate limits of township. Cities regulated and governed by this act shall be and remain a part of the corporate limits of the townships in which the same are situated. History: L. 1905, ch. 126, § 1; R.S. 1923, § 15-104; L. 1968, ch. 274, § 42…

15-105. Composition of council; census. The council of each city governed by this act shall consist of five members. The population of the city shall be ascertained, when necessary, by a census taken under an ordinance of the city. History: L. 1871, ch. 60, § 15; April 3; R.S. 19…

15-106. Meetings of council. Regular meetings of the council shall be held at such times, not less than once each month, as shall be prescribed by ordinance. Special meetings may be called by the mayor or acting mayor, on written request of any three members of the council, speci…

15-111. Election to determine status of city; city as part of township; payment of debts. On the petition of a majority of the legal voters of any town or village which became a city of the third class or may hereafter become a city of the third class by virtue of section one of …

15-111a. Dissolution of certain cities. Any city who has received public moneys in 2010 or 2011 from the United States environmental protection agency through the Kansas department of health and environment relating to the buyout and relocation of its residents and such residents…

15-112. Issuance of no-fund warrants by newly incorporated cities; computation of amount; protest petition; election. Whenever any town or village shall become an incorporated city, the governing body of each such city shall be authorized to issue no-fund warrants in amounts comp…

15-113. Same; tax levies; surplus; cash basis and budget laws inapplicable. Whenever no-fund warrants are issued under the authority of this act the governing body of such city shall make a tax levy each year for three (3) years in approximately equal installments for the purpose…

15-115. Incorporation of cities; purpose of act. It is the purpose of this act to provide by general law for the incorporation of all cities, as required by section 5 of article 12, of the state constitution. History: L. 1963, ch. 509, § 1; June 30. Source or Prior Law: 15-102, 8…

15-116. Same; petition; enumeration; affidavit; map; statement of assessed valuation. (a) When a petition for the incorporation of a city, signed by 50 or more electors of the territory described therein, and containing the information hereafter required, is filed with the county…

15-117. Same; duties of county clerks; hearing. The county clerk shall examine the petition, if such a petition is required, signatures and attached matter as prescribed by K.S.A. 15-116, as amended, and if it appears the petition is in proper form, that the inhabitants of the te…

15-118. Same; notice of hearing; publication; posting. The county clerk shall cause a copy of the petition, without the signatures, and a notice of the time and place of the hearing to be published once in the official county newspaper of each county in which any of the territory…

15-119. Same; notice of hearing required for certain officials. The county clerk shall, not less than 15 days before the hearing, send notices of the hearing with a copy of the petition, without the signatures, to the county clerk of any other county in which any part of the terr…

15-120. Same; conduct of hearing. The hearing shall be conducted in such manner as the board of county commissioners deems best suited to the occasion. Where the territory is in two or more counties the county commissioners of the counties involved shall sit as a joint board with…

15-121. Same; factors considered in determining advisability of incorporation. As a guide in determining the advisability of incorporating the territory, the board or joint board of county commissioners shall consider the following factors, among others: (1) Population and popula…

15-122. Same; consultants; witnesses; records; expense, how paid. The board or joint board of county commissioners shall have authority to hire expert consultants to provide information and assistance and gather information as required; to issue subpoenas, and compel the attendan…

15-123. Same; consideration of matter after hearing; denial of petition, when; order; unanimous vote for incorporation, when; election of city officers, procedure. After the hearing has been adjourned sine die, the board or joint board of county commissioners shall consider the m…

15-124. Same; operation as mayor-council city upon incorporation. The city, regardless of the number of inhabitants at the time of incorporation, shall operate as a mayor-council city of the third class and the statutes relating thereto and home rule powers under the constitution…

15-125. Same; expenses and costs from county general fund; proration, when. The expense of publications, notices, mailing charges, first city election and other costs incurred shall be paid from the county general fund, and if the city lies in two (2) or more counties, the expens…

15-126. Incorporation of cities; appeals to district court from commissioners' decision; reversal of decision; duties of board. (a) Any person who has an interest in and is aggrieved by the decision of the board of county commissioners under the provisions of K.S.A. 15-115, et se…

15-201. Election of officers; terms; vacancies. Every two years an election shall be held for a mayor, and five council members. The mayor and council members shall hold their offices for two years and until their successors are elected and qualified. Subject to the provisions of…

15-204. Appointment of city officers; duties and compensation; removal. Subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-16,128, and amendments thereto, the mayor, with the consent of the council, may appoint, at the first regular meeting of the governing body in May of each year, the foll…

15-209. Qualifications of officers; how vacancies filled. The officers elected or appointed under this act shall be qualified electors of said city, except the city may appoint nonresidents as city attorney, municipal judge and as law enforcement officers when deemed necessary, i…

15-301. General powers and duties of mayor. The mayor shall preside at all meetings of the city council, and shall have a casting vote when the council is equally divided, and none other, and shall have general supervision over the affairs of the city. The mayor shall be active a…

15-302. Signing of commissions and appointments. The mayor shall sign the commissions and appointments of all the officers elected or appointed in the city. History: L. 1871, ch. 60, § 23; April 3; R.S. 1923, § 15-302. Source or Prior Law: L. 1869, ch. 26, § 17.

15-305. Messages and recommendations to council. The mayor shall from time to time communicate to the city council such information and recommend such measures as in the mayor's opinion may tend to the improvement of the finances of the city, the police, health, security, ornamen…

15-306. Accounts and reports of officers. The mayor shall have power, when he or she deems it necessary, to require any officer of the city to exhibit his or her accounts or other papers, and to make report to the council in writing touching any subject or matter pertaining to hi…

15-308. Call for aid to enforce laws. The mayor is hereby authorized to call on every inhabitant of the city who is between the ages of eighteen (18) and fifty (50) years to aid in enforcing the laws. History: L. 1871, ch. 60, § 29; R.S. 1923, § 15-308; L. 1975, ch. 52, § 7; July…

15-309. Remission of fines; reprieves and pardons. The mayor shall have power to remit fines and forfeitures, to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses arising under the ordinances of the city, by and with the consent of the council. But no such fine or forfeiture shall be remi…

15-310. President of council. The city council shall elect one of their own body as "president of the council," who shall preside at all meetings of the council in the absence of the mayor; and in the absence of the president the council shall elect one of their own body to occup…

15-311. Vacancy in office of mayor; temporary absence of mayor. When any vacancy occurs in the office of mayor, by death, resignation, removal from the city, removal from office, refusal to qualify, or otherwise, the vacancy shall be filled as provided by K.S.A. 15-201, and amend…

15-408. Improvements; borrow money; bonds; tax levy. The council may provide for making any and all improvements of a general nature in the city; and for the purpose of paying for the same, may from time to time borrow money, and may issue bonds therefor, as provided by law, but …

15-408a. Validation of election to issue bonds; city of Glade. Any election which was held prior to the effective date of this act for the approval of the issuance of general obligation bonds of the city of Glade to pay the costs of drilling and equipping a new water well in acco…

15-427. Street and alley improvements; vacation; reversion; recordation of ordinance. The council shall have power to open, widen, extend or otherwise improve any street, avenue, alley, or lane; to create, open and improve any new street, avenue, alley, or lane; and also to annul…

15-438. Depots; levees; railway crossings; trains; regulation of speed. The council shall have power to regulate levees, depots, depot grounds and places for storing freight and goods, and to provide for the passage of railways through the streets and public grounds of the city; …

15-710. Relevy of special assessments; when. In case the mayor and council of any city of the third class shall have heretofore levied or shall hereafter levy any special assessment for any public improvement in said city, which special assessments are or may be informal, illegal…

15-711. Additional system of artificial lights for certain districts. The governing body of any city of the third class is hereby authorized to especially illuminate such districts within such city as it may deem expedient, and to construct, equip, and maintain a system of artifi…

15-712. Additional lighting in certain areas of city; construction and maintenance; tax levy, use of proceeds. The governing body of cities of the third class may levy an annual tax on all taxable tangible property in such city for the purpose of constructing, equipping, maintain…

15-718. Street and alley improvements; cooperation with state and federal government. The governing body of any city of the third class is hereby authorized and empowered to construct and improve the streets and alleys of the city, and may cooperate with the state or with the fed…

15-719. Same; temporary notes and bonds; bond election. To provide for the payment of the city's share of the cost of any such street or alley improvement, any such city may issue temporary notes and bonds of said city: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to authoriz…

15-720. Improvement or maintenance of certain streets; bonds; election. Whenever the governing body of any city of the third class shall deem it necessary to regrade, repave, reoil, remacadamize, resurface, repair, or maintain any street or portion of any street which has been gr…

15-731. Bonds for street and highway improvements, bridges and culverts; election. Any city of the third class may issue general obligation bonds payable by the city at large to surface, resurface, pave, repave, curb, recurb, gutter, regutter, or otherwise improve any street or s…

15-731a. Bonds for improving streets; election and nonlitigation certificate not required. The governing body of any city which, prior to the effective date of this act, has authorized, pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 15-731, and amendments thereto, the issuance of general o…

15-733. Repair and maintenance of streets; tax levy, use of proceeds. Any city of the third class is hereby authorized to make an annual tax levy on all taxable tangible property in such city to be used for the purpose of providing funds for regrading, repaving, reoiling, remacad…

15-807. Bonds for improving waterworks system. Any city of the third class owning and operating an electric light plant, sewer system or waterworks plant whose water supply may be insufficient to operate said utilities is by this act authorized to increase its bonded indebtedness…

15-808. Same; laws applicable. The law governing the issuance of bonds for waterworks in cities of the third class shall govern the issuance of bonds under this act. History: L. 1920, ch. 23, § 2; January 25; R.S. 1923, § 15-808.

15-809. Sale of electric light, waterworks or gas system; election required; procedure and notice; application of proceeds. (a) Any city of the third class that owns an electric light or waterworks plant, electric transmission line or water, gas or electric distribution system ma…

15-911. Attachment of certain land outside cities for park and recreational purposes; tax levies. Any city of the third class, owning a tract of land acquired and used by said city for park and recreational purposes which tract of land is located within eight (8) miles of the cor…

15-912. Same; ordinance; notice and hearing; filing with register of deeds; when election required; expenses. Any ordinance providing for attachment to the city for recreational purposes as described in K.S.A. 15-911 shall be published for two (2) weeks in the official city paper…

15-913. Same; taxes, limitation; use of proceeds. Any lands attached to a city of the third class for recreational purposes pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 15-911 and 15-912, shall not be taxed by the city at a rate in excess of eleven (11) mills; and all the proceeds of sai…