JoCo Pulse, the county scorecard for capturing quantitative and qualitative information about the BOCC Strategic Priorities.

The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is responsible for enacting legislation, levying and appropriating taxes and setting budgets, and Johnson County residents are strongly encouraged to engage with county government and have their voices heard. Weekly BOCC meetings are open to the public and streamed online. Many of our departments and agencies have advisory boards that depend on citizen participation. Johnson County residents who are registered to vote elect the BOCC members, District Attorney and Sheriff, so the more you know, the more empowered your vote. This is a great place to get educated and start engaging.
More information including official minutes, votes and videos on all items is available at boccmeetings.jocogov.org.
To reduce the spread of COVID-19, for the Board of County Commissioners Meetings, the County Commissioners will not be physically present in the Board Hearing room and will be using Zoom, an online meeting tool, to conduct the meeting. A live broadcast will still be available at https://boccmeetings.jocogov.org/onbaseagendaonline or on Facebook Live.
“Live” Public Comments are being accepted for the virtual BOCC meeting for those who have preregistered. Individuals wishing to speak may register by completing the registration form link at https://boccmeetings.jocogov.org/onbaseagendaonline. Registration closes at noon (12:00 p.m.) on the Wednesday, before the Thursday meeting. If you complete the registration, you will receive an email notice later in the day on Wednesday regarding the status of your registration. Instructions on joining and speaking at the virtual meeting will be included in the email notice. The BOCC has established a limit of 50 speakers for “Live” General Comments or a specific Item. If more than 50 individuals register, the 50 speakers will be determined by a random process. Speakers will be limited to 2 minutes each and will be audio only.
If you would like to make a WRITTEN public comment for the meeting, please use this link, WRITTEN Public Comments and complete the form. Written Comments received by noon Wednesday will be shared with the entire Board prior to the meeting. Written Comments will not be read into the record during the meeting. If you are unable to use this internet link, you may call the following number, and we will record your information. (913) 715-0424.
Persons who may need assistance, the use of a sign language or oral interpreter, or who require special accommodations, should contact us at [email protected], via the Kansas Relay Operator at 800-766-3777, or by phone at 913-715-0430 at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting.
County Economic Research Institute (CERI) Indicators – December 2020 Edition
The December 2020 edition of the Economic Indicators for Johnson County has been provided by the CERI. The unemployment rate for Johnson County was 3.3% during the month of December 2020, compared to 2.5% in December 2019, a 0.8% increase. Year-to-Date (YTD) the unemployment rate is 5.3%, compared to 2.8% the previous year, a 2.5% increase. The number of single-family homes sold in December 2020 was 1,004, compared to 813 in December 2019, a 23.5% increase. More information is available in this report and this memo.
March 2021: One year since COVID-19 entered our community
Johnson County had its first reported presumptive-positive case of COVID-19 on March 7. A day later was the first full day of operation for our Emergency Operations Center. Just a few days later, after a series of calls with community partners such as cities, law enforcement, school districts and the business community, we declared a State of Emergency on March 13. Jurisdictions around the country, including Johnson County, are developing plans to recognize those who lost their lives, suffered, survived or worked tirelessly to protect their communities from the pandemic. Please watch our website, jocogov.org, and Johnson County Government’s social media channels (@jocogov) for details on how we will mark this one-year anniversary.
2021 Johnson County Charter Commission
The organizational meeting of the 2021 Johnson County Charter Commission will be held on Monday, March 1, 2021, at 5 p.m. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom and may be viewed on Johnson County’s Facebook Live. The first meeting will be an informational meeting with an overview of the responsibilities of the Charter Commission. The 2021 Charter Commission was established by the Board of County Commissioners on February 4, 2021 and consists of 25 members specified by state statute. The 2021 Charter Commission is empowered to conduct comprehensive studies of any or all phases of County government operations.
Johnson County saw a 4.46% growth in reappraisal value of existing property and a 1.11% increase in new construction. Property sales increased from 14,962 in 2019 to 18,172 in 2020. The average selling price for single family homes was $558,000 for new construction and $381,000 for existing homes. Reappraisal of commercial property increased 2.08% over the prior year. The full report is available here.
The weekly report from our legislative affairs staff is available here. We continue to monitor Senate Bill 13, the property tax legislation regarding additional notice and public hearing requirements for taxing subdivisions. The House Tax Committee had a hearing where a number of amendments were made. One would defer the notification process for one year and tax lids would remain in place for that year. Another amendment would impact the timeline, which impacts city budget process. This bill is awaiting action in the House. If it passes, the next step would be a conference committee. Another bill we are monitoring, SB 87 would reapportion county sales tax. House Tax had a hearing, and we will continue to monitor this bill. On the federal front, we are monitoring the 2021 Budget Reconciliation Act, which should have final action around March 14. It currently contains $350 billion for state and local aid.
The weekly COVID-19 Operating Report, detailing COVID-19 specific expenditures and funding received is available here. To date the organization has identified $120,053,533.64 in costs which are eligible for CARES act reimbursement and received $151,513,187.82 in federal funds.
Today’s report had in-depth information on Johnson County’s vaccination program including this week’s vaccination efforts, a look at our current metrics, updates on communication and new data available. Read the full report.
The BOCC held a Committee of the Whole on the current state of transit in Johnson County. The presentation is available here.
Here are some highlights of the Board of County Commissioners’ actions and activities in August 2019. More information including official minutes, votes and videos on all items is available at boccmeetings.jocogov.org.
On Aug. 8, the Board approved and adopted the FY 2020 Budget and FY 2020 – 2024 Capital Improvement Program as proposed. More information is available in this news release.
Other Board action in August included:
On Thursday, May 30, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), as a Committee of the Whole, will review budget proposals for FY 2020 from representatives from departments and agencies providing infrastructure services to the county, as well as outside agencies that receive county funding.
From 11 a.m. to noon, the BOCC is scheduled to hear proposed budgets from Planning/Contractor Licensing, Transportation, Airport, Public Works and Stormwater Management.
Afternoon presentations scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. include the Arts Council of Johnson County, Johnson County K-State Research and Extension, the Johnson County Fair, Soil Conservation, United Community Services, County Economic Research Institute, Enterprise Center of Johnson County and then will wrap up infrastructure with Johnson County Wastewater.
All budget presentations and deliberations are open to the public and take place at the Board’s Hearing Room on the third floor of the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 S. Cherry St., Olathe. They are also streamed live and available from a link on the Johnson County website, jocogov.org.
The proposed FY 2020 Budget maintains a constant mill levy for Johnson County property owners and totals $1.26 billion, with expenditures estimated at $934.5 million, and reserves set at $331.4 million. The funding supports the departments and agencies that comprise Johnson County Government to serve and protect a county population of more than 604,000 residents. More information is available in this news release. Information and presentations on the proposed budget are available here.
The public has a new web link to view BOCC meetings online and access meeting agendas, minutes and other documents. Johnson County has switched from the SIRE Technologies platform to OnBase by Hyland. Beginning May 23, all BOCC meeting information can be accessed at boccmeetings.jocogov.org. More information is available in this news release.
After several months of work, study and discussion, today the Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted its 2019-2020 priorities. The board, along with staff, held a 1 1/2 day retreat in January, followed by discussions at Board of County Commissioner meetings and a March study session.
The BOCC has identified the following top three priorities for 2019-2020:
1. Complete/advance existing projects approved by voters and the Board of County Commissioners with efficiency and effectiveness.
2. Strengthen and finance the appropriate level of service to meet the needs of the county’s vulnerable populations, pursuing innovative strategies.
3. Develop a creative and innovative vision for a transit plan that is financially sustainable.
In this attached document you can learn more about these priorities as well as other topics identified.
“I want to thank our board, Executive Leadership Team members, the County Manager’s Office and other staff who played a role in the important work that lead to today’s adoption,” said County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson. “I look forward to our collaborative efforts during the next two years on these priorities and the positive impact they will have on the residents we serve.”
Our Board of County Commissioners wear many different hats. One of those hats is serving as liaisons to or members on a variety of boards and committees. Some are related to county government departments and agencies; others are regional boards or committees that work on issues benefiting the metro and the region.
Chairman Ed Eilert has finalized the board and committee assignments for 2019. If you go to the BOCC page and click on each commissioner’s bio, you can access their assignments.
Commissioner Jim Allen has been re-appointed as Vice Chairman of the BOCC for 2019.
Look for the new issue of JoCo Magazine, a special edition focused entirely on public safety, to hit your mailbox soon if it hasn't already! JoCo Magazine is a printed publication created by Johnson County Government, mailed three times per year to every household in the county.
The Fall 2016 issue, as well as past issues, can be viewed on the JoCo Magazine page of our website.