ELLSWORTH ? What would persuade a family to pull up stakes and move to a small city in the heart of Kansas? Well, what if the city offered free land, a year’s worth of free golf or swimming and maybe even some help with a down payment on building a house?

Those are the enticements being dangled by four Ellsworth County cities and a school district where officials see new residents as sources of new revenue. County commissioners and other dignitaries gathered Friday at a former soccer field for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the debut of the Welcome Home Plan.

At least one other such land giveaway has been announced in central Kansas this year — by the city of Marquette, in neighboring McPherson County.

Both programs are aimed at increasing the ranks of city homeowners, who pay city, county and school district taxes and perhaps have children who will attend local schools, attracting state aid that is pegged to enrollment.

In Ellsworth County, a drawing will be held Aug. 21 to give away 23 lots donated by the Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo School District and the cities of Ellsworth, Kanopolis, Wilson and Holyrood. Applicants must agree to build and occupy a home within a certain timeframe. The lots will be available to anyone who prequalifies with a lender, whether or not they live in Ellsworth County.

Anita Hoffhines, interim director of Ellsworth County Economic Development, said more than 50 people have called to ask about the program since it was announced less than a month ago, and 10 applications had been picked up by Friday afternoon.

Terry Kepka, owner of Seitz Drug in Ellsworth, thinks the giveaway is a fantastic idea.

“Any time you can take those lots, put a house on them and get people to town, that’s great,” he said. “Any new house means new income via property tax for the county and the city.”

Dale Weinhold, director of member services for Rolling Hills Electric Cooperative and manager of the Ellsworth RadioShack store owned by Rolling Hills, also supports the plan.

“I think we need to do something to get people into town, and I think that’s a really good incentive,” Weinhold said. “You’ll get your money back easily.”

The cities also are offering other incentives, from waiving sewer and water hookup fees to free family swim or golf passes for a year. Those incentives are available only to people who currently are not Ellsworth County residents.

Ellsworth County commissioners also hope to offer down payment assistance, with the amount of money offered based on the number of school-aged children in the family. Commissioners hope to commit to a dollar amount for that program and complete details when they meet Monday.

The giveaway is aimed in part at people who work in Ellsworth County but do not live in the city. Organizers have identified 125 such people and have talked to them about the free lots.

Hoffhines said some in that group live on family farms or in towns where their spouses work and are unlikely to be lured to Ellsworth. But about 25 percent cited the availability of affordable housing as their reason for living elsewhere.

“We think we can reach those people,” Hoffhines said.

County Commissioner Kermit Rush said the only negative comment he’d heard had dealt with the harm the program could do to people with lots for sale in the county.

But Ellsworth City Council member Murray Marston says he favors the program even though he has two lots he’s been trying to sell for 15 years.

“It’s crossed my mind that I might donate them,” he said. “Seeing the town grow might, in the long run, help everybody.”