The Johnson County commissioners are the seven-member Board of County Commissioners that holds all legislative authority for Johnson County, Kansas. Six commissioners represent geographic districts and a seventh serves as an at-large chairperson elected countywide. All seven run on nonpartisan ballots and serve staggered four-year terms, and together they control a $1.9 billion annual budget covering more than 600,000 residents.1Johnson County Kansas. Board of County Commissioners2Johnson County Kansas. Board of County Commissioner Elections
How the Board Is Structured
Kansas law lets counties organize into three, five, or seven commissioner districts.3Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 19-201 – Commissioner Districts; Charter Counties, Exception Johnson County uses six districts plus the countywide chair, for seven seats total. Because terms are staggered, about half the seats appear on the ballot each even-numbered election year.
District lines are redrawn to keep populations roughly even. The board adopted a new map in 2025 that reassigned just over 18,500 residents and narrowed the population variation across the six districts to 4.39 percent. State rules require redistricting whenever the variation exceeds 10 percent, and the 2025 map is expected to hold for at least five years.4Johnson County Kansas. Redistricting Johnson County
When a seat opens mid-term, it’s filled by appointment rather than a special election. If the vacancy happens before May 1 of the first even-numbered year of the term, the appointee holds the seat only until a successor is elected at the next general election. Otherwise, the appointee serves out the rest of the unexpired term.5Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 19-203 – Vacancy in Office of Commissioner, Filled by Appointment
What the Board Decides
The biggest annual vote is the budget. For 2026, that budget totals $1.9 billion, with $1.398 billion in expenditures and $505 million in reserves. The capital improvement program alone accounts for $347.4 million, covering road replacements, bridge work, and wastewater upgrades.6Johnson County Government. Budget and Financial Planning – 2026 Current Budget
Commissioners also set the mill levy each year, which is the property tax rate charged per $1,000 of assessed value. The combined 2026 levy is 24.095 mills: 17.263 for the county taxing district, 3.812 for the library system, and 3.020 for parks and recreation.6Johnson County Government. Budget and Financial Planning – 2026 Current Budget On a home with $100,000 in assessed value, that works out to roughly $2,410 in county property taxes before any credits or exemptions.
Beyond money, the board’s authority reaches into most of what county government does:
- Passing local ordinances on public safety, noise, building standards, and environmental protection.
- Approving contracts and authorizing bonds for capital projects, with the county holding a triple-A bond rating.
- Making the final call on zoning, rezoning, conditional use permits, subdivision approvals, and variances in unincorporated areas, after advisory zoning boards hold hearings and send recommendations.7Johnson County Kansas. Zoning Boards
- Maintaining county roads and bridges, including about 135 miles of gravel roads.
- Serving as the governing body of the Johnson County Unified Wastewater Districts, one of the largest public sanitary sewer systems in the region.
- Acting as the county board of health under K.S.A. 65-201, with authority to review, amend, or revoke orders issued by the local health officer, including emergency orders tied to infectious disease.8Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 65-201 – County, City-County and Multicounty Units; Local Health Officers
Day-to-day administration isn’t the commissioners’ job. A county manager, created by the county’s charter, runs operations across all departments and appoints the treasurer, county clerk, and register of deeds.9Johnson County Kansas. County Leadership The commissioners also appoint residents to advisory bodies like the Planning Commission, Library Board, and Park and Recreation District board, which review proposals and send recommendations back for a final vote.
How Johnson County’s Charter Shaped the Board
Most Kansas counties have a smaller, partisan commission with several additional elected offices. Johnson County looks different because voters approved a Home Rule Charter in November 2000, the first in Kansas, which took effect January 11, 2001.10Johnson County Government. Johnson County Charter Commission
The charter did three things that still define how the board works today:
- Expanded the commission from five seats to seven, adding the at-large chairperson.
- Made commissioner races nonpartisan, with no party label on the ballot.
- Created the county manager position and converted the treasurer, county clerk, and register of deeds from elected to appointed roles.
A 25-member Charter Commission reviews the document every ten years and can recommend revisions, but any changes must go back to the voters for approval.10Johnson County Government. Johnson County Charter Commission
Attending a Meeting or Speaking to the Board
The board meets in regular session every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the hearing room of the County Administration Building. Agendas are posted on the county website, and meetings are broadcast live with an archive of past sessions available online.
To speak during public comment, register online by noon the Wednesday before the meeting, or sign up in person by 9:20 a.m. the day of. Virtual participation is available if you register by the Wednesday deadline. Each speaker gets two minutes, though the chair can adjust that limit or the total number of speakers.11Johnson County Kansas. Submit Public Comment to the Board of County Commissioners Written comments and documents can be sent through a separate online contact form.12Johnson County Kansas. Contact Johnson County
If you need an ADA accommodation such as an ASL interpreter, request it at least three business days ahead through the county’s online ADA Accommodation Request form or by calling 913-715-5000. Kansas Relay users can reach the county at 800-766-3777.13Johnson County Government. ADA Accommodation Request
Challenging a Commissioner: Recall Rules
Kansas voters can recall a county commissioner, but the grounds are narrow. Under K.S.A. 25-4302, a recall petition must allege one of three things: conviction of a felony, misconduct in office, or failure to perform duties required by law. Misconduct means a legal violation that affects the official’s ability to do the job. Disagreement with a vote or policy choice, on its own, is not a lawful ground.14Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 25-4302 – Grounds for Recall
The signature threshold is high. A recall petition for a local official needs signatures from 40 percent of the voters who cast ballots for that office at the most recent general election.15Kansas Legislative Research Department. Recall of Local Elected Officials A petition cannot be filed during the first 120 days of an official’s term or within the final 180 days. Kansas courts have also required petitions to show a clear link between the alleged misconduct and the official’s duties, and petitions that fail that test can be rejected before they ever reach voters.