JUNE - 2008

Johnson County plans July informational meetings on sales tax for public safety

OLATHE, KS (Johnson County Square) — Johnson County Government will host two informational meetings in July regarding the renewal of an existing quarter-cent sales tax for public safety projects and operations.

The first meeting is scheduled Tuesday, July 8, in Conference Rooms A, B and C at the County’s Northeast Offices, 6000 Lamar Avenue, in Mission. The second event will take place Tuesday, July 22, in the lower level of the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 South Cherry Street, in downtown Olathe.

Attendees should use the main (east) entrance at the Northeast Building on July 8, and the Cherry Street entrance on the east side of the Administration Building on July 22.

Doors at both meetings will open at 6 p.m. with an open-house format, when attendees can ask questions and speak individually with elected officials and personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, Crime Laboratory, and Department of Corrections. Each meeting will include a 7 p.m. presentation by Annabeth Surbaugh, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, and Sheriff Frank Denning.

A time for general questions will follow the presentation; elected officials and County personnel will also be available to speak individually with attendees following the presentation.

If renewed by voters during countywide primary elections on August 5, the County plans to use its share of the total sales tax revenue to:

• build and operate a new Crime Lab;
• build and operate a Juvenile Services Complex;
• fund an ongoing expansion and future operations of the Adult Detention Center at the New Century AirCenter near Gardner, and convert the downtown Olathe jail into a booking facility.

More information about the sales tax renewal for public safety is available by calling (913) 715-0446.

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County rejects Stilwell incorporation

There will be no new city in southeastern Johnson County. The incorporation of the proposed City of Stilwell was defeated Thursday, June 5, by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.

By state law, the incorporation of a new city within five miles of an existing city requires a unanimous vote by the Board of County Commissioners. The proposal to incorporate Stilwell would have placed it within five miles of several cities in Johnson County, including Overland Park.

The Board voted 4-3 to approve the incorporation after hearing final comments from three advocates during its weekly business session. The incorporation request, however, failed since it did not receive the unanimous vote of all Board members as required.

First District Commissioner Ed Peterson, Second District Commissioner John Segale, Third District Commissioner David Lindstrom, and Sixth District Commissioner John Toplikar voted in favor of the incorporation. Fourth District Commissioner Ed Eilert, Fifth District Commissioner Doug Wood, and Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh voted against it.

Thursday’s decision came on the heels of a special meeting of the Board held on June 2 to review materials and receive comments regarding the petition. The Board had also conducted a public hearing on the petition on April 14 at Blue Valley High School, 6001 West 159th Street, Stilwell, and heard a presentation from Stilwell petitioners and other public comments.

The petition for the requested Stilwell incorporation was filed with the county on February 4, 2008. As originally filed, the petition proposed to incorporate the City of Stilwell from the remaining unincorporated portion of Oxford Township, roughly located between 154th and 167th streets and east of Mission Road to State Line Road, and from the unincorporated portion of Aubry Township east of Antioch Road to State Line Road and south of 167th Street to 215th Street, the boundary between Johnson and Miami Counties.

A section of land roughly between 183rd and 204th streets and Antioch Road to U.S. 69 Highway, which was recently annexed by the city of Overland Park, was removed from the area being considered.

If created, the City of Stilwell would have been a class of the third class, meaning a population of less than 5,000, with an estimated population of 4,400 and covering about 23 square miles. However, in land area, it would have been the fifth largest city in Johnson County.

Originally called Mount Auburn and founded in 1859, the name was changed to Stilwell in honor of Arthur E. Stilwell, a conductor on the first Missouri Pacific train to arrive in the rail-stop community in the 1870s. Stilwell soon became a railroad magnate, founding the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railroad in 1877. The railroad later became known as the Kansas City Southern Railway Company.

Johnson County currently has 20 incorporated cities in whole or in part within its boundaries, including six first-class cities with populations of more than 15,000 residents, seven cities of the second class (between 5,000 and 15,000 residents), and seven cities of the third class.

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Sales tax question ready for Nov. 4 ballots regarding Research Triangle

When Johnson County voters go to the polls in the 2008 General Elections on November 4, they will decide whether or not to authorize a one-eighth cent sales tax to fund projects and programs for the proposed Johnson County Education Research Triangle Authority.

On Thursday, June 5, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution placing the sales tax question on the November ballot and certified the language of the ballot question.

The resolution was approved by a 6-1 vote with Sixth District Commissioner John Toplikar dissenting.

A public vote on creation of the Education Research Triangle Authority was authorized in legislation passed last year by the Kansas Legislature. The legislation authorized a sales tax rate of up to 2 percent. The November ballot question seeks local authorization for a 0.125 percent sales tax.

If supported by the voters, three new facilities are proposed for construction or acquisition in Johnson County:

• The University of Kansas Edwards Campus Business, Engineering, Science and Technology Center in Overland Park;
  
• The Kansas State University Innovation Campus National Food and Animal Health Institute in Olathe; and,
  
• The University of Kansas Cancer Clinical Research Center in Fairway.

The one-eighth cent sales tax is expected to raise approximately $15 million per year.

The sales tax revenues will be equally divided among the three institutions. The sales tax, as proposed by the state legislation, has no sunset date to ensure that ongoing operations, maintenance, and research will be provided into the future.

The Johnson County Education Research Triangle Authority is a local board composed of seven members who must be elected officials of Johnson County. Board members will be appointed by the governor, the Kansas Board of Regents, the Board of County Commissioners, KU, KSU, and Johnson County Community College. The Board of Regents will maintain its constitutional authority over the universities.

The state of Kansas and Johnson County both have the authority to audit the Triangle Authority at any time. The authority also will have a regular independent audit to ensure credibility, efficiency, and public confidence.

If approved by Johnson County voters in November, the one-eighth sales tax would become effective in early 2009.

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County ends South Metro Connection study

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners ended the South Metro Connection study on Thursday, June 5, with no plans to create a new roadway connection between Johnson County and Cass County, Missouri.
After recessing its weekly business session and reconvening in the evening, the Board heard final comments from the public and staff before authorizing the conclusion of the study. The Board directed staff:

• To submit to the Johnson County Planning Commission a recommendation to modify the county’s Comprehensive Arterial Road Network Plan (CARNP) by removing the “corridor to be determined” study area shown in the southeast portion of Johnson County on the CARNP map; and,
  
• To leave the current CARNP designations unchanged, but modifying the plan by adding a Type 1 designation to extend a two-lane roadway at 179th Street between Metcalf and Nall avenues.
  

The South Metro Connection study started in January 2006 to identify a preferred alignment and roadway corridor between southeastern Johnson County, Kansas and northwestern Cass County. Road construction was not anticipated to begin for at least 10-15 years. The route was proposed to connect the planned North Cass Parkway at Holmes Road in Missouri to U.S. 69 Highway in Johnson County. The project was originally proposed as a four-lane parkway-type roadway.

The final recommendation from the study team was for a two-lane parkway with restrictive access management policies and a 45 mph posted speed limit. That recommendation was one of the options available to the Board, but was rejected.

The South Metro Connection study was a cooperative effort led by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) in partnership with Johnson and Cass counties; the cities of Overland Park and Olathe along with Belton, Mo.; the Kansas and Missouri Departments of Transportation; and the Federal Highway Administration.

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County unveils proposed FY 2009 Budget with no tax increase

Maintaining a continued strong foundation for public safety along with an eye on current and future economic challenges, the proposed FY 2009 Budget for Johnson County Government holds the line on the county’s property taxes for next year.

The county’s proposed budget plan for next year totals $738.2 million, including expenditures of $628 million and reserves of $110.2 million. The new proposed budget, which is slightly more than the current $735.3 million budget, funds more than 40 departments and agencies that comprise Johnson County Government.

The proposed 2009 Budget was drafted without an increase in the county’s current taxing levy at 23.242 mills.
The spending proposal for next year was unveiled during two afternoon Committee of the Whole sessions of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners by County Manager Michael B. Press and Scott Neufeld, director of the Budget and Financial Planning Department. The afternoon sessions began Wednesday, June 4, and ended Thursday, June 5.

“The FY 2009 Budget meets the needs of the community, while preparing for the challenges ahead in future budget years. In spite of a less than favorable revenue outlook, the FY 2009 Budget was balanced with a combination of austere expenditure growth and strategic budget reductions,” the County Manager advised the Board in his annual budget message.

“The service requirements of the community were met while preserving our financial position to meet the formidable operating and capital needs expected in FY 2010 and beyond.”

The County Manager said the impact of public safety on the rest of county government is “substantial,” noting that “current public safety expenditures overshadow what is spent on the remaining services” provided by the county taxing district.

The impact involves the current expansion and future operation of the Johnson County Adult Detention Center at the New Century AirCenter near Gardner. The project is scheduled for completion next year. The county also is planning to build a new Juvenile Services Complex in Olathe, which is expected to start next year.
Other public safety projects in the works in the years ahead include construction of a Juvenile Services Complex and expansion of intake and booking expansion at the Adult Detention Center in downtown Olathe.
The County Manager said his proposed budget plan was more difficult than past budgets in light of numerous economic challenges.

“The economic slowdown reduced the growth rate in Johnson County’s assessed valuation to below 1.1 percent, which was less than one-fifth of the average annual growth rate of the past five years,” he said, adding the downturn in the local housing market and slowed appraised valuation growth is expected to continue into next year, affecting the county’s budgets in 2010 and 2011.

The instability of the housing market also has resulted in a decrease in mortgage registration fees, another major source of revenue collected by the county.

The proposed 2009 Budget lists a proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) totaling $153 million. Excluding stormwater and wastewater projects, which have dedicated funding courses, the CIP features approximately $83.6 million for various capital projects, including:

• $15.4 million for the County Assistance Road System (CARS) program;
  
• $2.3 million for the county’s Bridge, Road, and Culvert Program;
  
• $11.7 million for the county’s Stormwater Management Program; and,
  
• $4.2 million for land acquisition and capital improvements and $1 million for the Okun Fieldhouse

Expansion in Shawnee by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.

The new budget plan, as now proposed, will add 11.95 new full-time employees to the county’s payroll for a maximum total of 4,114 employees.

The Board of County Commissioners now will review the budget proposal and meet with county departments and agencies in a series of hearings from June 12-26. The Board is scheduled to finalize the county’s 2009 proposed budget on July 10 for legal publication.

Publication of the FY 2009 Budget is scheduled for July 17. Following legal publication, the county cannot, by law, increase the amount of the budgeted expenditures, but can decrease the amount of the operating budget or taxing level in final approval by the Board.

The public hearing on the new county budget will occur at 7 p.m. Monday, July 28, in the Board’s Hearing Room located on the third floor of the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 South Cherry Street, in downtown Olathe.

The Board is scheduled to adopt the budget resolution during its business session on Thursday, August 14, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Hearing Room. According to state statute, the county’s new budget must be approved and filed with the County Clerk by August 25.

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public hearing planned on June 17 on 2002 annexation by Overland Park

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, 2008, regarding the provision of municipal services, or the lack thereof, by the city of Overland Park in connection with the annexation of approximately 5 square miles on May 2, 2002.

The public hearing will take place in the Board’s Hearing Room on the third floor of the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 South Cherry Street, in downtown Olathe. The city and property owners within the 2002 annexation plan are invited to appear to give evidence, testimony, or comments regarding municipal services by the city since the annexation.

The 2002 annexation involved an area roughly from 159th and 167th streets between Quivira and Antioch roads and from 159th and 183rd streets between Antioch Road and Metcalf Avenue.

State law requires the Board to conduct the public hearing and to determine whether the city has provided the municipal services that it stated it would provide to the area and whether those services are being provided according to the timetable in the city’s service extension plan.

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County places sales tax question on Nov. 4 ballots regarding Research Triangle

When Johnson County voters go to the polls in the 2008 General Elections on November 4, they will decide whether or not to authorize a one-eighth cent sales tax to fund projects and programs for the proposed Johnson County Education Research Triangle Authority.

On Thursday, June 5, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution placing the sales tax question on the November ballot and certified the language of the ballot question.

The resolution was approved by a 6-1 vote with Sixth District Commissioner John Toplikar dissenting.

A public vote on creation of the Education Research Triangle Authority was authorized in legislation passed last year by the Kansas Legislature. The legislation authorized a sales tax rate of up to 0.2 percent. The November ballot question seeks local authorization for a 0.125 percent sales tax.

If supported by the voters, three new facilities are proposed for construction or acquisition in Johnson County:

• The University of Kansas Edwards Campus Business, Engineering, Science and Technology Center in Overland Park;
  
• The Kansas State University Innovation Campus National Food and Animal Health Institute in Olathe; and,
  
• The University of Kansas Cancer Clinical Research Center in Fairway.

The one-eighth cent sales tax is expected to raise approximately $15 million per year.

The sales tax revenues will be equally divided among the three institutions. The sales tax, as proposed by the state legislation, has no sunset date to ensure that ongoing operations, maintenance, and research will be provided into the future.

The Johnson County Education Research Triangle Authority is a local board composed of seven members who must be elected officials of Johnson County. Board members will be appointed by the governor, the Kansas Board of Regents, the Board of County Commissioners, KU, KSU, and Johnson County Community College. The Board of Regents will maintain its constitutional authority over the universities.

The state of Kansas and Johnson County both have the authority to audit the Triangle Authority at any time. The authority also will have a regular independent audit to ensure credibility, efficiency, and public confidence.

If approved by Johnson County voters in November, the one-eighth sales tax would become effective in early 2009.

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County plans July informational meetings on sales tax for public safety

Johnson County Government will host two informational meetings in July regarding the renewal of an existing quarter-cent sales tax for public safety projects and operations.

The first meeting is scheduled Tuesday, July 8, in Conference Rooms A, B and C at the County’s Northeast Offices, 6000 Lamar Avenue, in Mission. The second event will take place Tuesday, July 22, in the lower level of the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 South Cherry Street, in downtown Olathe.

Attendees should use the main (east) entrance at the Northeast Building on July 8, and the Cherry Street entrance on the east side of the Administration Building on July 22.

Doors at both meetings will open at 6 p.m. with an open-house format, when attendees can ask questions and speak individually with elected officials and personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, Crime Laboratory, and Department of Corrections. Each meeting will include a 7 p.m. presentation by Annabeth Surbaugh, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, and Sheriff Frank Denning.

A time for general questions will follow the presentation; elected officials and County personnel will also be available to speak individually with attendees following the presentation.

If renewed by voters during countywide primary elections on August 5, the County plans to use its share of the total sales tax revenue to:

• build and operate a new Crime Lab;
  
• build and operate a Juvenile Services Complex;
  
• fund an ongoing expansion and future operations of the Adult Detention Center at the New Century AirCenter near Gardner, and convert the downtown Olathe jail into a booking facility.

More information about the sales tax renewal for public safety is available by calling (913) 715-0446 or visiting the County’s main website at www.jocogov.org.

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County judge announces retirement

Johnson County District Court Judge William Isenhour Jr. is retiring from the bench after 14 years of public service and ending a legal career spanning almost four decades.

He will not submit his name for a retention vote in the General Elections on November 4 since his retirement becomes effective on September 8.

Judge Isenhour cited three reasons for his decision to retire. One was his growing concern over “the independence of the judiciary in Kansas” in light of the November ballot proposition seeking voter approval for partisan elections of county judges. Judges currently are up for a retention vote every four years.

“We need to retain the current nonpartisan selection system and keep politics out of who’s sitting in the seat of justice in Johnson County,” he said Friday, June 27, in announcing his plans to retire.

A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Isenhour was appointed a Johnson County District Court judge by the late Governor Joan Finney in September of 1994. Prior to his judicial appointment, he was in private practice in Johnson County since 1969. He previously serves as municipal judge in the cities of Merriam and Mission.
On January 1, 2006, Judge Isenhour became one of three original judges of the Family Court in Johnson County when the court was formed and began operations.

Judge Isenhour hopes to work with the Kansas Supreme Court on an independent proposal by him to put the Johnson County model for a Family Court in place in all of the district courts in Kansas.

“Family Court is a problem-solving court designed to help parents heal their own broken families and to be concerned about their children separate and apart from animosities toward the other spouse,” he said.

Another reason for his retirement involved his declining health stemming from his ongoing battle with prostate cancer for the past seven years. He has long served as an advocate for prostate cancer awareness.

The final reason was his desire to spend more time with his wife of 42 years, Karen, and his other family members. The couple lives in Mission. The family includes a son, Kirk, Kansas City Mo.; a daughter, Stephanie Price-Isenhour, Overland Park; and two grandchildren.

Judge Isenhour is a member of the Johnson County Bar Association, the Kansas City Metro Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association, the Kansas Trial Lawyers’ Association, the Kansas District Judges’ Association, the American Judges’ Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri – Kansas City.

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