FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is the form of government in Johnson
County?
What are the duties of the Board of County Commissioners?
What are the duties of the Chairman of the Board?
Are there qualifications for County Commissioners?
How are the Chairman and County Commissioners elected?
Who is my County Commissioner?
How do I contact the Chairman or my County Commissioner?
When and where does the Board of County Commissioners meet?
How can I get a copy of the meeting agenda or minutes?
How can I find out what happened at the meeting?
How can I obtain copies of documents acted upon by the Board?
How can I get a copy of the County Government’s organizational
chart?
How can I make a difference in the community?
When do Johnson County’s boards and commissions meet,
and how can I serve on one?
When and how does Johnson County conduct elections?
How can I register to vote?
Q. What is the form of government in
Johnson County?
A. Johnson County operates under a
modified version of the Council-Manager
form of government in which legislative power and oversight authority is
vested in an elected, seven-member Board
of County Commissioners and accountability for organizational
performance and the administration of services and programs is delegated to
and exercised by the County
Manager, appointed
by and accountable to the Board of County Commissioners.
Q. What are the duties of the Board of
County Commissioners?
A. The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative branch of Johnson
County Government and is responsible, among other things, for:
Q. What are the duties of the Chairman
of the Board?
A. Elected at-large by the voters of the community, the Chairman is
the chief elected official of Johnson County Government and serves ex officio
as presiding officer of the Board of County Commissioners. Some of the Chairman’s
official duties include:
Q. What are the qualifications for County
Commissioners?
A. County Commissioners must be qualified electors of the County and
must reside in the district from which they are elected throughout their term
of office.
Q. How are the Chairman and County Commissioners
elected?
A. All County Commissioners, including the Chairman, are elected on
non-partisan ballots. The Chairman of the Board is elected at-large from a
district comprising the total population and geographic territory of the county;
the other six Commissioners are elected from specific districts that, in accordance
with state law, are as equal in size and population as possible. All County
Commissioners serve staggered, four-year terms of office.
Q. Who is my County Commissioner?
A. Of course, that depends upon where you live. Johnson County is divided
into six commission districts that are as compact and equal in size and population
as possible, based upon census numbers. To determine your commission district,
and thus your County Commissioner, please see the Commission
District Map.
You also may contact the Board’s Office at (913) 715-0430, or the Election
Commissioner’s Office at (913) 782-3441.
Q. How do I contact the Chairman or my
County Commissioner?
A. You may contact the Chairman or your County
Commissioner by calling
their office or by writing a brief letter describing your issue. When writing,
please remember to provide your first and last name, a return mailing address,
and a daytime telephone number where you may be reached. Correspondence may be
submitted to the Chairman or any District Commissioner at:
Office of the Board of County Commissioners
County Administration Building, Suite 3300
111 South Cherry Street
Olathe, Kansas 66061-3486
You may also email the Board of County Commissioners by clicking here.
To schedule a meeting with the Chairman or your County Commissioner, contact their aide at the Board’s Office at (913) 715-0430.
Q. When and where does the Board of County
Commissioners meet?
A. The Board of County Commissioners meets in regular business session
each Thursday, beginning at 9:30 a.m., in its Hearing Room which is located
on the third floor of the County Administration Building on the County Square
at 111 South Cherry Street in downtown Olathe. To facilitate the transaction
of business, the Board of County Commissioners follows a set session schedule
divided into a morning and an afternoon session. The morning session includes
the formal business meeting. The afternoon session is reserved for working
policy discussions, staff reports, and joint meetings with other governing
bodies and agencies.
All business sessions and other meetings, with the exception of executive sessions, are open to the public. Executive sessions are allowed under Kansas Laws for specific purposes, including—but not limited to—receiving advice of legal counsel, issues in connection with pending or actual litigation, matters of non-elected personnel, and preliminary discussions concerning property acquisition.
In addition, the Board of County Commissioners conducts public hearings and informational forums on specific issues, which are generally scheduled during the early evening hours to allow for greater public participation.
Q. How can I get a copy of the meeting
agenda or minutes?
A. Of course, the Internet is an excellent
resource! Information about the Board’s agenda is available through
the County’s webpage,
or you can access it directly by clicking here. The
agenda is displayed in Adobe Acrobat® portable document formatting,
and it is posted and available on-line each week Tuesday afternoon. Official
minutes of the meetings also are posted to the Internet, approximately two
weeks after the date of each meeting after they have received approval from
the Board of County Commissioners. An archive of the past
journals is found on
the Legislative Information Management System website.
Q. How can I find out what happened
at the meeting?
A. Again, the Internet is a terrific and convenient resource! A synopsis
of each business meeting is posted each Thursday afternoon, immediately following
the weekly business meeting, summarizing the actions taken by the Board of
County Commissioners. You also may contact the Board’s Office at (913)
715-0430 for information about what transpired during a particular meeting
or to receive the results on a specific item.
Q. How can I obtain copies of Board
records?
A. Copies of all records and official papers belonging or pertaining
to the Board of County Commissioners are made available through
the Clerk of the Board. To obtain copies of Board documents, please
contact the office at (913) 715-0430. Certified copies of official records are available upon request.
For access to other County records, please contact the County’s Records Management and Archives Department at (913) 715-0400.
Q. How can I get
a copy of the County Government’s organizational chart?
A. Click here to download a copy in Adobe
AcrobatReader® format.
Q. How can I make a difference in the
community?
A. Here are some recommendations for community involvement:
Q. When do Johnson
County’s
boards and commissions meet, and how can I serve on one?
A. The Board of County Commissioners appoints citizens to various agency
governing boards and commissions, as well as to numerous advisory panels and
committees, in order to facilitate public input and communications about the
County Government’s services and programs. To be considered for appointment
to a governing or advisory board, please submit a letter of interest, along
with a current resume, to the Board’s Office. You also may submit your
information on-line by reviewing the
boards and commissions
page.
Q. When and how does Johnson County
conduct elections?
A. The Election Commissioner, appointed by the
Secretary of State, conducts all elections within Johnson County, including
elections for township, city, county, state, and federal offices. Following
is a breakdown of the election schedule for these and other public offices:
County Commissioners are elected in non-partisan races in even-numbered years; a primary election is held in August followed by the general election in November. County Commissioners take office the second Monday in January immediately following election to office. All Commissioners serve staggered, four-year terms of office.
Q. How can I register to vote?
A. To register to vote, you must be a US citizen,
Kansas resident and have reached the age of 18 years before the next election.
Voter registration closes 14 days prior to an election. For more information
about the election process, visit the Johnson
County Election Office website.