Have concerns, solutions about KCK’s Unified Government? How WyCo residents can weigh in
Editor’s note: Reality Check is a Star series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email tips@kcstar.com.
Residents will soon have a chance to weigh in on the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, after the region’s three mayors declared that a reimagining was needed.
The mayors of Kansas City, Kansas, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs earlier this month announced plans to form a task force that could reshape the 25-year consolidated government structure. At the time, Edwardsville Mayor Carolyn Caiharr said a “citizen-focused” group would begin neighborhood discussions to hear resident concerns and solutions, but no dates had been set.
On Monday, the initiative known on Facebook as the Unified Residents of Wyandotte County shared the times and locations for five community meetings, the first of which will be Nov. 16 at the Bonner Springs City Library.
“The intention is to find solutions to present to our Commissioners that will lead to a better future for the great people who call Wyandotte County home,” the group wrote.
Each meeting is set to begin at 6 p.m. The others will be Nov. 20 at the Edwardsville Community Center; Nov. 28 at Kansas City, Kansas Public Library’s Main Library; Nov. 30 at the West Wyandotte Library; and Dec. 7 at the library’s South Branch.
Registration is required because seating is limited, the group said. Residents can sign up through a link that can be found on the Facebook page.
The meetings come after the mayors, including Tyrone Garner, the CEO of the Unified Government, painted a dire picture of the UG’s finances and “mismanagement.” Caiharr said the goals of the 1997 consolidation — a more efficient and cost-effective government — had “not come to fruition,” though she stopped short of offering solutions and said she first wanted to hear from residents.
The task force will consider recommendations for governmental change, which will then be sent to the UG’s 11-member Board of Commissioners. That could include breaking up the governments of KCK and Wyandotte County.
Opinions vary widely about that possibility, with one co-founder of the consolidation effort saying the region, thanks to unification, went from being known for its political corruption to one with attractions like the Kansas Speedway in the Village West area.
Voters approved unifying the governments of Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County in 1997. Residents of Edwardsville and Bonner Springs voted against it. The two cities have their own city governments, while the UG provides county services.
The Board of Commissioners, the UG’s governing body, is made up of Garner and 10 commissioners elected to represent residents in various districts. The board sets county policy and adopts the annual budget, among other things.
This story was originally published October 31, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
