Your Johnson County Commission chair general election primer

Early voting in Johnson County is in full swing already and Election Day, Nov. 8, is just one week away.

As Johnson County residents head to the polls and mail in ballots, we’ve put together this election primer to give people an easy way to find out more about the candidates for Johnson County Commission chair and where they stand on the issues important to our readers.

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Who’s on the ballot

There are two candidates who advanced out of the August primary and are now vying in the general election for the chair seat, which is being vacated by retiring chair Ed Eilert.

This is a nonpartisan, countywide contest, so all eligible Johnson County voters can cast a ballot for either:

• Roeland Park Mayor Mike Kelly
• District 3 Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara

Quickly get to know both candidates and their policy priorities with the Post’s candidate thumbnail sketches.

Candidate questionnaires

Earlier this month, the Post published the candidates’ responses to a questionnaire we developed with reader input.

The candidates’ answers to the five questionnaire items are linked below:

Election integrity: Since the fall of 2021, Sheriff Calvin Hayden has used county resources to conduct an investigation into unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud. His investigation continues even as the Johnson County Election Office and Secretary of State have offered repeated assurances that the 2020 election was free of significant abnormalities. Hayden, for his part, says he is simply doing his due diligence after residents raised concerns, though his office has produced just one actual complaint report so far. Do you support the Sheriff’s continued investigation of the 2020 election? Are you comfortable with county resources being used for it? Why or why not? Read candidates’ answers.

Home value and property taxes: Many Johnson County residents have seen the county’s appraised values of their homes going up double digits year after year without corresponding property tax rate reductions to offset them — meaning people’s out-of-pocket tax expenses have risen dramatically in recent years. What role do you think the county government needs to play in addressing rising property taxes here? Read candidates’ answers.

Pandemic response: The county played a central role in setting and enforcing the public health policies related to the pandemic — including business closures and school mask mandates. Do you believe the county’s approach to managing the pandemic was a success? Why or why not? What should the county do differently if a public health emergency arises in the future? Read candidates’ answers.

Tax incentives for developers: More and more developers are requesting tax increment financing when they bring proposals before Johnson County cities. Under state statute, the Board of County Commissioners has a 30-day window to veto the creation of TIF districts in the county. Critics say tax incentives amount to giving private businesses a handout. Proponents say development projects that ultimately benefit the community couldn’t move forward without them. What’s your view on the prevalence of the use of tax incentives on development projects here? Read candidates’ answers.

Climate change: Climate change continues to be a major issue of concern for our readers. What steps should the county government be taking to build climate resiliency and prepare for more extreme weather events in Johnson County? Read candidates’ answers.

Candidate forum

The Post hosted an in-person forum for the two chair candidates on Oct. 4 on the campus of Johnson County Community College.

Video of the event is embedded below, followed by a summary of the topics the candidates discussed and corresponding time stamps to help readers find their answers more quickly:

1.  Candidates’s opening statements [4:40]
2. The actual job or role of county commissioner may be a bit more obscure or less well known to some of our readers compared to, say, what a mayor or a state representative does. How do you see the role of county commission chair? And in what ways do you hope to impact regular Johnson Countians the most? [7:27]
3. Since the fall of 2021, Sheriff Calvin Hayden has used county resources to conduct an investigation into unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud. His investigation continues even as the Johnson County Election Office and Secretary of State have offered repeated assurances that the 2020 election was free of significant abnormalities. Hayden, for his part, says he is simply doing his due diligence after residents raised concerns, though his office has produced just one actual complaint report so far. Do you support the Sheriff’s continued investigation of the 2020 election? Are you comfortable with county resources being used for it? Why or why not? [12:40]
4. I appreciate if you can’t respond directly about an ongoing investigation [in response to O’Hara’s answer], but you also sit on the Board of County Canvassers as a member of the Board of County Commissioners. This is the body that certifies local election results. Do you trust the Johnson County election system and vote-counting process? [16:05]
5. Many Johnson County residents have seen the county’s appraised values of their homes going up double digits year after year without corresponding property tax rate reductions to offset them — meaning people’s out-of-pocket tax expenses have risen dramatically in recent years. The next Johnson County budget does, in fact, lower the county’s mill levy, or property tax, rate by one mill … the largest such reduction in 20 years, but home values are rising so quickly that Johnson County taxpayers, by and large, are expected to still pay more in property taxes. Should the county’s property tax rate be cut more? If not, what other relief is there for taxpayers? If so, what impact will this have on county services? [18:00]
6. This questions directly from a reader: “When it comes to economic development, Kansas law leaves much of that to cities instead of counties. But the County government can play a significant role in making sure businesses are welcome and encouraged to locate here and bring good jobs with them. When trying to attract jobs and businesses, who is Johnson County competing against? What role, if any, do you think economic development incentives should play in trying to attract businesses here?” [25:18]
7. Local leaders, including outgoing commission chair Ed Eilert, have for years been sounding the alarm over the potential negative impacts of the so-called “dark store” theory on county and municipal revenues. Big box retailers, including Walmart, Target and Bass Pro, have argued that the county’s method of appraising their properties results in valuations that are too high. They essentially argue that their properties should be appraised as if their stores are empty and that the commercial activity that goes on inside should not be part of the appraisal calculation, hence the “dark store” theory, as some critics refer to it. County and municipal officials have warned that if such arguments continue to be successful and appraisals are adjusted, then local tax revenues could be greatly curtailed. The Kansas Supreme Court earlier this summer sided with the county, reversing a lower court ruling and sending the case back to the state Board of Tax Appeals. It still remains possible the board could again determine the county is overvaluing big box retailers’ property, putting the county back into the same position of having to potentially pay back tens of millions of dollars in taxes to these corporations. This issue could very well come to a head after the next election. If you are elected, what will be your position on the “dark store” theory? Do you think the county should continue to fight this legal argument? Or do you think the county does owe these retailers and businesses the revenue its collected from them over the years? [32:10]
8. Johnson County is vast, comprising more than 600,000 residents. There are densely populated developments and suburban cities clustered in the northeast and along State Line Road … and there are sprawling homesteads and more rural tracts in the west and south. As county chair, you’ll have to be responsive to taxpayers in all of these different types of communities.  How will you do this? How will you go about prioritizing the needs of all these competing interests? And do you think some areas of the county will need or deserve more attention than others in the next four years? [35:54]
9. The county commission earlier this summer approved new regulations governing industrial-scale solar farms. There are currently no solar farms in the county … but the approval of the new rules paves the way for such operations, including one proposed for outside Gardner that would, if built, be the largest solar farm in Kansas. The rules the county commission adopted were looser than ones recommended by the county planning commission, which some critics said were so strict it would have dissuaded solar farm development. With these regulations now in place, you could be asked to vote on solar farm proposals in Johnson County. Do you support the building of solar farms in Johnson County? Why or why not? [40:43]
10. The county commission oversees the county health department and plays a lead role in the management of public health here. And in that, the county has been challenged like never before the past two-and-a-half years during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, county data shows nearly 170,000 Johnson Countians have been infected with the disease and nearly 1,300 people have died. Leadership of the county health department will soon be in flux: Health Director Dr. Sanmi Areola recently announced he was leaving his post in November. As county commissioner, you will have input in who replaces him. What will you be looking for in the next leader of the county’s health department? Do you think JCDHE needs to change any of its operations following the pandemic? [45:50]
11. Candidates’ closing statements [50:32]