DE SOTO, Kan. — Panasonic’s arrival to De Soto is broadening the city's tax base and making it easier to grow and fund new city services, like a community center.
Rhonda Mazlumian lives in De Soto. She wants more sports and community offerings, and a new community center is something she’d like to see.
“Things that improve community, sports, that sort of thing. So, like community centers, walking, biking paths, parks, those were some of the things that I see some improvement,” said Rhonda Mazlumian, De Soto resident.
That’s what the city is working on now. They just wrapped up a survey where they asked community members what they’d like to see in a community center, and how they’d like the city to pay for it.
"There's a possibility where a lot of these development fees from Panasonic and Flint would pay for it, but if there is kind of a shortfall, we'll have a conversation with the public," said Brandon Mills, De Soto Assistant City Administrator.
Currently, their senior center is open to the whole community, but there’s not a lot there. Only a gym and small fitness center. Options for a new one could include more indoor sports courts, walking tracks, or aquatic spaces.
The city says developments like Panasonic and the additional revenue it’s bringing the city are making projects like this possible.
“The development, the revenues that the city would receive as a result, direct result of Panasonic opening up, is kind of allowing us to do it,” said Mills. “Before that, we wouldn't have had the revenue to be able to pay for something like this.”
They’re in the early stages of planning, but the next step is for the city to present the survey findings to the city council in April.
From there, the council help decide what exactly this could look like and where the money that doesn’t come from Panasonic will come from. A few options could be an additional sales tax or shifting money from different resources.
KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
