Johnson County is focused on the fundamentals that make our quality of life so unique. Putting the fundamentals first keeps us healthy and safe, keeping us moving, makes life worth living and helps us grow. 

The numbers find the county outperforming national averages: More than nine of 10 residents still say that the county is a great place to live, work, start a business and raise a family. The county also:

• Completed a three-peat of Leading the Way awards
• Maintained its Triple A Bond Rating for the 17th-straight year
• Was recognized as one of the best places in America to work by Forbes Magazine

One of Johnson County’s biggest priorities, as stated by residents, is health and safety. The county is ensuring that EMS and ambulance service are prepared for a continued increase in call volume. Additionally, MED-ACT launched the Community Health Integrated Paramedicine Services program to visit people in their homes on a mostly non-emergent, appointment-style basis.

On the public health side, the county is bringing the departments of Mental Health, Health and Environment, and Aging and Human Services under one roof at the upcoming new Health Services Building. It will be the first built pursuant to sustainability guidelines and will feature solar panels on the roof.

Quality infrastructure is fundamental to Johnson County. Johnson County Wastewater treats 18 billion gallons of wastewater each year – and they do so at a 99.9% compliance rate. 2024 also set a record for aircraft operations, with 95 operations at New Century AirCenter – a 7.3% increase from 2023.

The county partnered with the Biden administration to accept nearly $8 million for energy efficient buses, complementing 32 new EV charging stations set for installation at public facilities. The Board of County Commissioners is also undertaking a year-long Strategic Transit Plan for public transit.

The Trust for Public Land’s latest economic impact study found that Johnson County Park and Recreation District contributes over $279 million annually to our community. This includes the newly renovated Mid-America Sports Complex, which brought an economic boost of more than $18 million – more than $3 million above projections.

Johnson County Library is excelling as well, as 260,000 residents have a library card. Additionally, nearly 90,000 people attended one of the library’s 2,000+ programs. Libraries provided $2.1 million in economic impact. Last year, the library also opened its newest branch: The Merriam Plaza Library.

When times get tough, Johnson County helps those in need. This includes helping landlords be confident in accepting voucher-based tenants, providing warm meals to homebound seniors, offering breastfeeding support to young mothers and more. The county is also working to combat the opioid epidemic, with a focus on education, prevention and recovery – and spending opioid settlement funds.

Keeping residents informed is important as well. Public information responsibilities are moving out of the County Manager’s Office and into their very own Communications and Engagement Department. 

The past five years have seen significant inflationary increases impacting county services, including the food costs for public safety, the cost for concrete for building roads and bridges, the cost of metal culverts for managing stormwater and more.

Still, Johnson County lowest county government mill levy in the state, with a mill reduction in seven of the past eight years. This amounts to $37 million in property taxes saved by property owners. The county is also looking for ways to improve efficiencies, utilizing new tools like ResourceX to find efficiencies and annually reviewing all unfilled positions to evaluate their necessity.

To build Johnson County’s future, the county needs more housing. Last year, the county partnered to create new attainable housing with partners like the Salvation Army Family Lodge, Friends of Johnson County Developmental Supports, and Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City. The Board of County Commissioners also passed a Letter of Intent to form a partnership with a new housing non-profit.

More housing means a broader tax base, and tourism is helping bring in more dollars. Visitors spend more than $2 billion annually in the county, accounting for 26.5% of Kansas’ visitors. Tourism spending in 2024 saved the average Johnson County household $790 in taxes – the equivalent of nine mills.

The biggest opportunity in our region’s history is also coming next year as a host region for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.