Frustrated by what they say are big-spending, out-of-touch Johnson County, Kansas, leaders, and unable to rely on local news media to hold them accountable, an ad hoc group of citizens is urging voters to “Take Back JoCo” Nov. 5. Coming together only in recent months, Take Back JoCo has already...
Audit of Kansas TIF districts reveals delays in returns, increased crime rates
Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, wants the Kansas Department of Commerce to track the success of economic initiatives like tax increment financing districts to evaluate the full burden on taxpayers. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Some of Kansas’ largest cities are struggling to gain full returns on tax increment...
Conservative candidates hope to undo Johnson County Commission’s liberal policies, misadventures on Nov. 5
A county commission that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a homeless shelter without gauging the city’s support for it – while rejecting a motion to require its residents to be U.S. citizens? A county commission that is still going all-in on divisive and discredited DEI ideology, as other entities across the...
Playing Favorites with Public Funds
A majority of the Johnson County Kansas Board of Commissioners have demonstrated that their last concern is the tax burden on citizens of the county. Their decisions over the last 3-1⁄2 years indicate a predilection for enriching private not-for-profit entities, developers, and new (but not existing) businesses. Commissioners Allenbrand and...
What the JoCo Audit REALLY Says About their Finances
Johnson County AuditBy: Charlotte O'Hara, Johnson County 3rd District CommissionerThis does not reflect the majority viewpoint of the JoCo BOCCMy head is still spinning from the Johnson County Audit report, on which I sent out an email recently. But I have to report I…MADE…A…MISTAKE!!! I had read that the percentage of invoices...
Johnson County audit shows lax purchasing controls
The first page of a recent audit of purchasing controls in Johnson County government shows a startling lack of oversight. According to the report — presented at the Sept. 5, 2024, Johnson County Commission Meeting — new purchasing guidelines designed to reduce costs, speed purchases, and simplify purchase procedures have resulted in a process...