The city of De Soto, Kansas, is undergoing major infrastructure changes alongside the construction of Panasonic’s nearly five-million square foot electric battery plant.
“Evergy is constructing a massive amount of power infrastructure in town that's really causing an impact,” De Soto City Manager Mike Brungardt told KCUR’s Up To Date. Some corridors in town are also getting sewer expansions, he said.
Traffic caused by nearly 3,000 workers building the battery plant south of Kansas Highway 10 is adding to “construction fatigue,” Mayor Rick Walker added.
The multi-billion-dollar plant situated in a city with roughly 6,000 people is the largest economic development project in Kansas history, one Gov. Laura Kelly has called “transformational.”
In spite of the construction burnout, De Soto residents will soon see a return on investment through a 30% reduction in the city’s mil rate, Walker said.
“That's the largest reduction in our history, and likely in the state of Kansas,” the mayor said. “But what that means to our average homeowner, that even though their appraised property value might have went up seven or eight percent, their city tax bill is going to go down about 25%. So the average home in DeSoto is looking at a savings of $175 to $200 in their tax bill."
- Rick Walker, mayor, De Soto, Kan.
- Mike Brungardt, city manager, De Soto, Kan.
