AUGUST - 2008

Library offers free programs On election issues

The 2008 general election is only a few weeks away. Want to find out more about upcoming election issues and the candidates? Johnson County Library will present a series of programs related to the upcoming election to help citizens get the information they need to become informed voters. All programs are free and open to the public.

Vote Smart!
Monday, August 18 • 7 - 8:30 PM
Lackman Neighborhood Library (913) 495-7540
15345 W. 87th St. Pkwy., Lenexa, KS
Not sure who to vote for, where to vote, or how? Learn the ins and outs of this year’s elections and find out how to get up to speed on the candidates and the issues. Special em¬phasis will be given to state and local elec¬tion information. No registration necessary.

Predicting the November Elections
Wednesday, August 27 • 1:30 - 3:00 PM
Central Resource Library (913) 495-2400
9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS
At last the primaries are over! What changes can we expect from the November Elections in our county, state, and metropolitan area? What are the “hot topics of civic interest” for Johnson County voters? How will the Jack¬son County elections impact us? The Brown & Gold Club of JCCC is pleased to offer the opportunity to learn first hand from Yael Abouhalkah’s perspective, an editorial writer for the last 24 years and on the editorial board of the Kansas City Star. No registration necessary.

Candidate Meet & Greet
Wednesday, September 10 • 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Central Resource Library (913) 495-2400
9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS
This is a big election year, with 34 races on the Johnson County ballot! Come to our Candidate Meet & Greet event and meet the folks who want your vote. Refreshments provided. This event is cosponsored by the League of Women Voters of Johnson County. No registration necessary.

Community Issues Forum: Paying for Health Care in America
Thursday, September 18 • 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Central Resource Library (913) 495-2400
9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS
Forty-seven million Americans lack health insurance while costs continue to spiral out of control for those who do have cover¬age. The nation spends more than any other country on health care, but many are still dissatisfied with what we have to show for it. Now it is time to face the difficult choices needed to make the U.S. health-care system function properly. Refreshments at 6:15 p.m.; discussions begin at 6:30 p.m. Registration is requested; register online or call (913) 495-2497.

Vote Smart!
Monday, September 29 • 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Central Resource Library (913) 495-2400
9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS
Not sure who to vote for, where to vote, or how? Learn the ins and outs of this year’s elections and find out how to get up to speed on the candidates and the issues. Special em¬phasis will be given to state and local elec¬tion information. No registration necessary

To find resources on the 2008 Election including candidate information, where to vote, how to register and a list of books on related topics visit www.jocolibrary.org/elections.

Interpretive services and other accommodations for those with special needs are available by contacting Library staff at least 48 hours in advance of the scheduled Library program.

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Library selected As best Kansas City library By Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Pick Awards

Johnson County Library was selected as Kansas City’s 2008 Parents' Pick for Best Library as part of Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect's First Annual Parents' Picks Awards. Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect (http://www.parentsconnect.com), the online resource for parenting advice and community, asked parents to pick the best services in their local communities via the 2008 Parents' Picks Awards. The Johnson County Central Resource Library was selected number one and the the Lackman Neighborhood Library was voted number three.

The ParentsConnect's First Annual Parents' Picks Awards identified the best family-oriented places and resources in 52 major U.S. cities. Categories included Best Kids' Museum, Best Library, Best Toy Store, Best Playground/Park, Best Green Space, and many more. Users, real parents, voted for nominees online at http://www.parentsconnect.com/parentspicks from May 19 to June 30, 2008. On July 15, 2008, the ParentsConnect.com site published the Parents' Picks winners and the winning venues' information will remain featured on the site for a year. All Parents' Picks businesses were nominated based on recommendations from ParentsConnect.com local city editors (transitioning from the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids.com site to PCLocal.com) who live and work in the cities they cover, in conjunction with ParentsConnect users' feedback. Users' votes and rankings ultimately determined which venues are selected as winners in their respective categories.

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Johnson County’s 2008 Feed the Need drive sets record with 159.6 tons in food donations

OLATHE, KS (Johnson County Square) — Johnson County set a new record in its annual Feed the Need campaign by collecting 159.6 tons in food donations and cash to benefit local food pantries.

The total easily surpassed the goal of 135 tons and eclipsed the previous record of 148.5 tons that was set last year.

Results of the Feed the Need campaign were announced Thursday, August 14, by Maury Thompson, executive director of Johnson County Developmental Supports and the 2008 Campaign Chairman, during the weekly business session of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.

“Once again, Johnson County residents in need will benefit by the county’s employees who demonstrate concern for their community. Even though the yearly event day in the Courthouse Square kicks off attention to the growing need for the support provided by the 10 food pantries, Johnson County employees work throughout the year to secure food, non-perishable items, and cash,” he said. “This is demonstrated by the increases achieved in total contributions every year.”

The county’s campaign began with a June 20 kickoff celebration and ended July 3. Collections included $78,504 in cash, representing about 159 tons of food (each dollar equates to four pounds of food) and 5,122 pounds of food. The total collection equaled 319,141.38 pounds.

On Thursday, six county departments were presented a Certificate of Participation in the campaign and 30 county departments received tonnage awards, ranging from one to 23 tons.

The event announced the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure as the recipient of the Chairman’s Award for the department collecting the most food (47,077 pounds) and the Treasurer’s Office/Motor Vehicle Department as the winner of the Commissioners’ Plaque for the department with the best average per person collection. The department has 72 employees and collected 39,787 or 553 pounds per employee.

The recipient of the Rick Beckwith Cup was the Park and Recreation District for having the highest percent of increased collections from the previous year. In 2007, the district collected 305 pounds. Its collection in the 2008 campaign was 12,811 pounds. The annual award honors Beckwith, a longtime Facilities Department employee who died in 2004. He was a longtime active participant in Feed the Need campaigns. The county has dedicated all future Feed the Need campaigns in his memory.

Thompson also presented representatives of food pantries with a ceremonial check for $7,850 representing the actual cash donation each pantry received from the successful campaign. Actual checks were distributed to the pantries two weeks ago to assist them in stocking their shelves to meet demands for assistance.

The Feed the Need campaign benefits 10 Johnson County food pantries, including five operated by County Government.

Last year, the five pantries, operated by the Department of Human Services and Aging, at multi-service centers in Overland Park, Lenexa, De Soto, Gardner, and Spring Hill received 3,788 requests for food assistance, serving 1,604 households totaling 5,293 individuals.

The pantries that benefit from the county’s 2008 Feed the Need campaign include:

• Blue Valley Multi-Service Center in Overland Park
• De Soto Multi-Service Center
• Spring Hill Multi-Service Center
• North-Central Multi-Service Center in Lenexa
• Gardner Multi-Service Center
• Shawnee Community Services
• Catholic Community Services, Olathe
• Salvation Army and First Christian Church, both in Olathe

The annual food drive by county government started in 1987 with one county department and the collection of less than one ton of food.

The county has been a lead participating organization in the annual metropolitan Feed the Need campaign since 1988. Feed the Need is a regional effort coordinated by the Mid-America Regional Council, the Mid-America Assistance Coalition, and Harvesters International.

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County moves to reduce FY 2009 mill levy in approval of new budget

With a goal of a slight reduction in Johnson County’s tax levy next year, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners adopted the FY 2009 Budget of $736.3 million on Thursday, August 14, after amending the proposed budget plan twice.

One motion was to offset approximately $1 million in budgeted expenditures in the new budget with projected reserves that would equate to lowering the overall 2009 mill levy by 0.126 mills.

The other motion was to eliminate from the FY 2009 Budget an increase in the base salaries for all seven commissioners.

The move to reduce the mill levy by 0.126 mills means the estimated total mill levy for next year is approximately 23.116 mills compared to the county’s current mill levy of 23.242 mills. One mill equals $1 on every $1,000 of a homeowner’s assessed valuation. The final setting of the FY 2009 mill levy, however, will be established by the end of October with the 2009 property evaluations by the Johnson County Department of Records and Tax Administration.

“I think that’s the prudent thing for us to do,” Second District Commissioner John Segale said.

Fifth District Commissioner Doug Wood agreed, calling it “an appropriate suggestion.”

“Every little bit helps,” he added.

Fourth District Commissioner Ed Eilert amended the motion by calling for all commissioners to “step up to the plate” to curtail the cost of county government by eliminating their proposed 3 percent salary increase in 2009. The current base salary of a district commissioner is $49,841. The existing base salary for Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh is $86,946.

The Board approved the capping of commissioners’ salaries at current levels for next year by a 7-0 vote.

The Board then adopted the FY 2009 Budget as amended to include using reserves for a slight reduction in the mill levy. That vote, too, was unanimous.

The total mill levy involves the county’s three taxing districts: County, Library, and Park and Recreation District. The board of directors of the Library and Park and Recreation District establish their own budgets and supporting mill levies for inclusion in the county’s total budget/mill levy that must be approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

Ad valorem taxes are expected to generate about $182 million, or approximately 29 percent of the county’s revenue. One mill of tax is estimated to generate $8 million for the County and the Park and Recreation taxing districts, and about $6.7 million for the Library taxing district.

The new budget is roughly a $2 million increase from the county’s current budget. The maximum expenditure authority in the total FY 2009 Budget is set at $736,318,993, including budgeted expenditures of $628.9 million with budgeted reserves of $107.4 million, or approximately 17.1 percent.

The FY 2009 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) totals $153 million. Excluding stormwater and wastewater projects, which have dedicated funding sources, the CIP features approximately $83.6 million for various capital projects, including:

• $2 million for bus replacement by the Transit Department;
  
• $15.4 million for the County Assistance Road System (CARS) program;
  
• $2.3 million for the county’s Bridge, Road, and Culvert 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 budget will include an addition of 26.6 full-time county employees, increasing the total workforce to 4,126.5 employees next year.

What’s the Bottom Line?

The owner of the average home in Johnson County, valued at $251,000, would pay approximately $667 in 2009 for the county’s portion of their property tax bill. That’s roughly $55.60 a month. The calculation is only for county government and does not include other taxing entities, such as the state of Kansas, cities, or school districts.

The owner of a $100,000 residential property will have an estimated county property tax bill of $266 for the year or about $22.15 a month. Other estimates include:

• $150,000 - $399 a year or about $33.23 a month
  
• $200,000 - $532 a year or about $44.31 a month
  
• $250,000 - $665 a year or about $55.38 a month
  
• $300,000 - $798 a year or about $66.46 a month
  
• $350,000 - $930 a year or about $77.53 a month
  
• $400,000 - $1,063 a year or about $88.61 a month

The estimated FY 2009 county taxes on an average $1,523,238 commercial property would be $8,803.
A public hearing on the FY 2009 Budget occurred on July 28. By state law, the Board must adopt the new budget each year by August 25.

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