After the votes were counted and elections decided, Johnson Countians discovered their property taxes were increasing an average of 5.6%, and a week later, that they would pay their part-time county commissioners 23% more in salary in 2025.
Property tax statements were issued November 14, nine days after nearly 73% of eligible county residents went to the polls. On November 21st, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) accepted recommendations from an ad hoc committee earlier this year to increase their salary for the first time since 2011. The vote was 5-2 with Chairman Mike Kelly, and Commissioners Jeff Meyers, Janee’ Hanzlick, Becky Fast, and Shirley Allenbrand supporting the recommendation and Commissioners Charlotte O’Hara and Michael Ashcraft opposing. Allenbrand and Meyers were re-elected this month, while O’Hara was defeated.
Chairman Kelly defended the pay raise prior to the vote:
“There’s no wrong time to do the right thing. It’s never going to be politically popular. I don’t think salaries are the panacea that are going to solve all the ills, but I do think they allow for more representation. I think there’s an association between pay and professionalism. I also think it will increase the time to devote to our constituents and to the policy-making that is necessary.”
Commissioner Allenbrand, while noting the career sacrifices and the increased security precautions she has taken while in office, made the case for both the salary hike and the property tax increase:
“Somebody has to make a commitment to be in this seat and run for this office, and it’s a big commitment. I understand people got their (property) tax bills. I looked at mine; I always look at the back. I see how much money I pay to every single entity that’s on there. The amount of money I pay to the county compared to the city, I live in Olathe, and I have other things on there. It’s greater than what I pay to the county.”
Outgoing Commissioner O’Hara blasted her colleagues for the salary increases and the post-election timing of each event:
“In the Committee of the Whole on Thursday, November 21st, we (the BOCC) voted 5-2 to direct staff to bring an action agenda item forward (before the end of the year, most likely December 12) to increase the Chairman’s salary by 23.3% to $92,500, plus benefits of at least $30,000 which will bring this part-time job total cost to you the taxpayer to $122,500. Next was to increase district commissioners’ salaries by 23.1% to $58,300 with benefits of up to $25,311 on top of the base salary, or a total of $83,611, again for a part-time job.
“Please keep in mind these are part-time jobs. Johnson County has a “professional” staff which runs and manages the county’s business.
“As an example, Chairman Kelly is a Partner in the law firm Husch Blackwell, which is his full-time job. His elected county position is a side gig, a stepping-stone (as was being mayor of Roeland Park) for his outsized political ambitions for governor or U.S. House or U.S. Senate.
“The chairman’s pay of $122,500 with benefits for a part-time job shows an absolute disregard of the pressure ever-increasing property taxes are putting on Johnson County taxpayers.
“In my opinion the majority of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners using an ad hoc committee as the cover for a reason to increase their pay is cowardly at best and dishonest at worst.
“Please note that the ad hoc committee strongly recommended that any future annual increase in pay be a stand-alone action item. That recommendation was not accepted by the majority of the BOCC. Therefore, annual increases in commissioner pay will be hidden within the total budget process.
“The “why” of this vote occurring after the election, in my opinion, is obvious; it might have hurt the re-election bid for Commissioners Allenbrand and Meyers. And the same reason that property tax bills arrive 2 weeks after the November general elections instead of 2 weeks prior to… protecting incumbents.”
Commissioner Meyers neither spoke in favor of the salary increase before his “Yes” vote, nor responded to our request for comment.
