Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill that allows Shawnee County to avoid consolidating its government in the same way Wyandotte County has.
Kansas statute compels any county with a population between 170,000 and 200,000 to create a citizens’ commission to assess county governance and recommend improvements. The statute was created specifically for Wyandotte County in 1968, which eventually led to the county government consolidating with cities in 1997.
“The City of Topeka right now actually has a citizens commission already working,” Rich Eckert, a Shawnee County counselor, told the Senate Committee on Local Government, Transparency and Ethics.
Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill sought by Shawnee County officials, that allows them to forego creating a statutorily required citizens commission. The statute was intended to apply solely to Wyandotte County, but the language made it applicable to any county with a population between 170,000 and 200,000.
In 2005, Shawnee County voters rejected a ballot measure that would have consolidated county government and the Topeka government, which voters rejected. The bill would go a step further, including other taxing authorities that Eckert said would make for an overwhelming number of representatives on any citizens review board.
“In our case, that number would be at least 59 people,” Eckert said. “I have talked to a couple of township trustees, and they said no way in heck would they be coming to any of those meetings if we put it together.”
Kelly signed the bill amending the statute to allow, rather than compel, counties to create a citizens review panel. She signed it with six other bills that she characterized as noncontroversial bipartisan bills that increase government efficiency.
“I am always looking for ways to make our government more efficient for the people of Kansas,” Kelly said. “I’m pleased to sign bills into law that do just that.”
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Shawnee County avoids Wyandotte County-style consolidation plan