Tonganoxie, Kansas

It depends on which side of State Avenue (U.S. 24-40) the home is on. The city lists Westar Energy for the area south of State Avenue and Free State Electric for the area north of it, and City Hall at (913) 845-2620 can confirm the provider for a specific address.

The City of Tonganoxie provides water, sewer, and trash service, and new customers sign up through the city’s online utility service contract form or at City Hall, 526 E. Fourth St. All three services appear on one city bill, which can be paid online or set up for automatic payment.

Yes. Curbside recycling every other week is an optional add-on through the city’s contract with Honey Creek Disposal Service and is billed on the city utility bill.

Tonganoxie Unified School District 464 (USD 464) serves the city.

The city says most Kansas City metro cities are less than a 40-minute drive away, and U.S. 24-40 gives a four-lane route into Kansas City. Kansas City International Airport is about half an hour away.

City code allows fireworks within city limits from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on June 30 through July 4, plus any other times the governing body approves. Fireworks are not allowed on public streets, alleys or in parks without approval, or within 50 feet of a gas pump. Licensed stands may sell fireworks only during those same dates and hours.

The City Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. After the Nov. 2, 2026 meeting, the next regular date is Monday, Nov. 16. Meetings are moving to the former public library at Third and Bury streets (303 Bury Street), and the city says regular meetings are livestreamed on the City of Tonganoxie YouTube channel. Agendas are posted at tonganoxie.org.

USD 464 proposed a 61.981 mill levy for 2026-27, up about 1 mill from 60.955 the year before. The public hearing was set for Sept. 14, 2026, and the full budget is posted at tong464.org.

No. City zoning bars parking in required front and side yards in most residential districts, except in the customary driveway of a single- or two-family home, and required parking must be on private property (Zoning Section 20-010).

Yes. On lots of one-half acre or less, parking and driveways must be permanently surfaced; on lots over one-half acre, the driveway must be paved from the curb or street edge to the setback line (Zoning Section 20-010 H).

Under Ordinance 1552 (adopted Sept. 8, 2026), a lot may have up to three minor accessory buildings of up to 500 sq. ft. each (5% of lot area in total, 5-foot side and rear setbacks) and one major accessory building of up to 800 sq. ft., no larger than half the home’s footprint and designed to match the house. A single outbuilding of up to 25 feet tall is allowed only in the R-R district or on lots over 2 acres. The Planning Commission can grant exceptions through site plan review.

The 2027 budget the council adopted on Sept. 8, 2026, proposed a total city levy of about 40.272 mills, roughly 0.776 mills above 2026. The entire increase is in the library and library employee benefits levies; the general and debt service levies are flat. The council also passed Resolution 09-26-01 to levy above the revenue-neutral rate (37.710 mills).

Not fully. The online code at codepublishing.com is current through Ordinance 1523, passed Aug. 19, 2024. Newer ordinances, such as Ordinance 1552 on accessory buildings (Sept. 2026), are available from the City Clerk’s Office at 913-845-2620 or in City Council agenda packets on tonganoxie.org.

The Planning Commission meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. Agendas and packets are posted on the Planning Commission page at tonganoxie.org; meetings are canceled when there are no items, as on Oct. 1, 2026.

Yes. Cloverleaf Infrastructure has proposed Project Bluestem, a data center on roughly 1,100 acres of Tailgate Ranch south of Tonganoxie near the Tonganoxie/Eudora interchange on I-70. The site is in unincorporated Leavenworth County, so the county commission and county planning commission handle it. As of September 2026, commissioners had heard public comment but had not voted on the project.

Yes. The city lists a fall citywide garage sale day on its calendar; in 2026 it was held Saturday, Oct. 3. Check the City of Tonganoxie calendar at tonganoxie.org for the next date.

9.25% inside city limits as of October 2026 (state, Leavenworth County and city combined), and 2.75% on groceries (local tax only; Kansas dropped its state sales tax on food on Jan. 1, 2025). Nearby, rates run from 7.975% in Lake Quivira to 10.0% in Edwardsville. Rates can differ by address. Look up any address with the Kansas Department of Revenue rate locator. Source: Kansas Department of Revenue, October 2026.

Not yet, as of fall 2026. The county planning commission reviewed draft data center zoning rules in July 2026, covering size categories, setbacks, noise limits and development agreements. Commissioners said in September that the rules would still come before the county commission, and no adoption date had been announced.

Yes. On Sept. 8, 2026, the City Council approved a GameTime playground proposal for Stone Creek Neighborhood Park, with a cost of just under $50,000 paid from the Capital Projects and Special Parks funds.

R-DT-1 and R-DT-2 are Residential Downtown zoning districts created under the Downtown Regulating Plan the city adopted Dec. 15, 2025. Some lots that had been zoned R-SF (single-family) were converted to R-DT-1, which city staff describe as an area of duplexes and detached houses; R-DT-2 areas include duplexes and row houses. Check a specific lot’s zoning with the city’s Planning and Zoning office at 913-845-2620.

Yes. The city is improving its wastewater treatment plant with a contract held by Crossland Heavy Contractors, funded in part by a KDHE loan and federal ARPA money. The September 2026 financial report put the work at about 50% complete.

City Hall is at 526 E. 4th Street, Tonganoxie, KS 66086. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the phone number is 913-845-2620.

No. Under Section 22 of the Tonganoxie Zoning Code, special use permits in residential districts, including those for home occupations, bed and breakfasts and in-home beauty salons, do not transfer from the original owner to a later owner. A new owner has to apply for a new special use permit, which goes to the Planning Commission. Any special use permit also expires if the use is abandoned for more than 12 months.

The city posts Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals agenda packets on tonganoxie.org under Minutes & Agendas, and approved minutes under Planning Commission Minutes. The most recent packet is for the Nov. 5, 2026 meeting. The city calendar lists the next Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026, at 7 p.m.

The city has a $600,000 design contract with BG Consultants for the 14th Street Corridor. The city’s September 2026 financial report showed the contract 46% spent. Construction timing and cost were not listed.

Yes, and the changes are now adopted. On Sept. 8, 2026, the City Council passed Ordinance 1552, which amends the zoning code’s accessory building standards. The Planning Commission had held a public hearing on Sept. 3. The ordinance sets separate size, height and setback standards for minor accessory buildings, major accessory buildings and outbuildings. The online code at codepublishing.com does not include it yet, so get the current text from City Hall at (913) 845-2620 before you build.

The Home Builders Association report in the Nov. 5, 2026, Planning Commission packet shows 5 single-family permits in Tonganoxie in July 2026 and 45 for the year through July.

Yes, with a city UTV license. The license costs $200 a year and runs July 1 through June 30. The vehicle must pass a Police Department inspection (913-369-3754) and be insured. You then pay at City Hall, 526 E. 4th Street.

Yes. The city posts a newsletter twice a year, in April and October, on the Newsletters page of tonganoxie.org. The Fall 2026 issue was posted Oct. 26, 2026.

The zoning code requires 2 off-street parking spaces per single-family home (Section 20-011). Parking is not allowed in the required front and side yards except in a customary driveway, and on lots over half an acre the 2 required spaces must be paved (Section 20-010). (Read from a third-party copy of the city code; confirm with City Hall.)

Yes. The Board of Zoning Appeals hears appeals of the city’s administrative zoning decisions, along with other zoning appeals. It meets on the same night as the Planning Commission, which is the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 303 Bury Street.

The playground closed Oct. 26, 2026, for a full replacement. Installation begins in November, and the city expects to finish by March 1, 2027. The new playground adds turf surfacing, a rope tower, more slides and shade structures. Equipment at the Stone Creek pocket park is also being replaced.

In its September 2026 financial report, presented with the Nov. 2, 2026 council agenda, the city listed $6,906,363 in outstanding general obligation debt and $1,711,198 in other obligations, for a total of $8,617,561. Separately, the wastewater treatment plant upgrade is funded by a $6,349,700 KDHE loan.

Yes. Combined city mill levies fell 5.737 mills, or 12.7%, from 2021 through 2026, according to the city’s fall 2026 newsletter. The 2027 budget adds 0.776 mills, all for the library levies, while the general fund and debt service levies stay flat.

The Nov. 5, 2026 Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals agendas list the City Council Chambers at 303 Bury Street, 7 p.m. The commission normally meets the first Thursday of the month, and agendas are posted at tonganoxie.org under Planning Commission agendas.

The City of Tonganoxie lists its Mayor’s Tree Lighting Event on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. Check the city’s events calendar at tonganoxie.org for location and updates.

Yes. A $5,000 grant from the Henri Masonic Lodge pays for smoke detectors that the fire department installs free for qualified residents (City of Tonganoxie Fall 2026 Newsletter). Call City Hall at 913-845-2620 to check eligibility.

Under the city’s timeline, design and KDOT grant decisions (about $3.5 million requested) come in fall 2026, financing in spring 2027, construction begins in summer 2027, and completion is expected in fall or winter 2028 (City of Tonganoxie Fall 2026 Newsletter).

Yes. The city uses Mueller-brand meters with a remote-read function, bought from Olathe Winwater since 2014. A Nov. 2, 2026 council item proposed replacing 64 meters installed before 2017 whose remote-read function is weakening.

The city posts lot split, plat, zone change, variance and special use permit applications on its Licenses, Permits & Planning Applications page at tonganoxie.org. Rezonings and special use permits go to a public hearing before the Planning Commission, which meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m., and then to the City Council.

The city’s posted application fees are $150 for a lot split, $150 for a Board of Zoning Appeals variance or appeal, and $150 to rezone up to 1 acre ($350 for 1.1 to 5 acres, more for larger tracts). A special or temporary use permit costs $50 in the R-SF district and starts at $150 in other districts. Building permit fees are on a separate schedule; City Hall at (913) 845-2620 can confirm current amounts.

Yes. The zoning code requires one shade tree per home in the front or corner side yard in the R-R, R-E, R-1 and R-SF districts (Sec. 24-013), with a trunk at least 2 inches in diameter measured 12 inches above the ground at planting (Sec. 24-015).

No. Under Section 25-014 of the Tonganoxie Zoning Code, a real estate sign on a single residential lot needs no sign permit. You may post one per street frontage, up to 8 square feet and 4 feet tall, unlit, outside public rights-of-way and easements, with no time limit.

A Northstar Subdivision stormwater project is in the works. At the Nov. 2, 2026 City Council meeting, Public Works presented survey results and a proposed scope of public improvements and grading within the existing easement. Staff asked for up to $20,000 to buy materials and secure temporary construction easements, paid from the Stormwater and Capital Improvements funds. As of Nov. 6, the city had not posted minutes showing the outcome. Minutes are usually approved at the next meeting, on Nov. 16, and then posted on tonganoxie.org.

It has been proposed. A drive-up-only Scooter’s Coffee of about 664 square feet is planned on a vacant lot at 215 State Avenue (US-24/40). The Planning Commission considered its site plan on Nov. 5, 2026, and city staff recommended approval with conditions on stormwater, shared access coordinated with KDOT, and street trees. As of Nov. 6, the city had not yet posted the outcome of that vote. Minutes appear on tonganoxie.org once they are approved.

They have been proposed. GM Investment Properties has asked to rezone 104 E. 8th Street from R-DT-1 to R-DT-2. Its concept plan shows two four-unit townhome buildings (8 units) with access from 8th Street only. The Planning Commission held the public hearing on Nov. 5, 2026, with a staff recommendation for approval. As of Nov. 6, the city had not posted the commission’s recommendation. The City Council makes the final rezoning decision, and a formal site plan review would follow.

Sign up with the City Clerk at (913) 845-2620 by 1 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Written public comments are also due by 1 p.m. that day. The council meets at 7 p.m.

No. The city provides water only within its city limits. Some areas west of town are served by Leavenworth County Rural Water District No. 6, a separate utility whose district office can be reached at 913-416-0484. Buyers can confirm the water provider for an address with City Hall at 913-845-2620.

Yes. The city contracted with Little Joe’s Asphalt for $148,351 to mill and overlay Main Street from State Avenue (US 24/40) south to 4th Street, with work scheduled for Oct. 15-16, 2026. The city’s fall 2026 newsletter notes this stretch had micro-surfacing in 2021, which extended pavement life about five years.

Yes. You Store It Storage Units has applied for a special use permit and site plan at 1204 State Avenue. The public hearing and votes were on the Nov. 5, 2026 Planning Commission agenda but were continued to a future meeting. Check the Planning Commission agenda page at tonganoxie.org for the new date.